Cactus Pear Fruits (Opuntia spp.): A Review of Processing Technologies and Current Uses

Resumen

Crops with additional health-promoting and nutritional benefits, such as cactus pears, are increasingly gaining momentum both for health professionals and consumers (Feugang et al., 2006). Cactus pear fruits are rich in betalains, taurine, minerals, and antioxidants, and thus fit well this trend. Hence, it is considered and are predicted a promising future crop for commercial food applications. In this light, a sound knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of cactus pears as well as their current and potential future uses are needed. However, data are scattered and often difficult to access. Therefore, the present review summarizes data from the literature and points out promising areas of research.