article · The Journal of Phytology
Extracts from the cladodes, bark, and seeds of Opuntia ficus-indica collected across Mediterranean and Continental ecosystems were evaluated for their phytochemical profiles, antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory potential. Quantitative testing showed that Mediterranean cladode extract, Continental bark extract, and Mediterranean seed extract contained the highest concentrations of total phenolic compounds. Among the tested samples, the Mediterranean seed ethanolic extract demonstrated substantial in vitro antioxidant performance across radical scavenging and reducing power tests. Computational analysis using density functional theory examined caffeic acid and ferulic acid, showing that both phenolic compounds act as reactive antioxidants, with caffeic acid displaying a stronger electron-donating capability and higher biological activity. The findings suggest that components of this plant species can provide natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.
Many traditional remedies rely on regional flora to treat inflammatory conditions and wounds, yet rigorous verification is necessary to validate these uses. By identifying how specific plant parts and ecological conditions affect active compounds, this study strengthens the scientific evidence behind traditional medicinal plants and assists researchers in identifying viable natural molecules for health applications.
The findings could eventually inform the development of natural antioxidant or anti-inflammatory ingredients for nutraceutical or pharmaceutical developers. However, because the study is limited to laboratory solvent extraction, in vitro assays, and computational simulations, it remains at an early stage of research. Substantial downstream work, including in vivo efficacy validation, toxicity profiling, and extraction scaling, is required before any commercial health products can be pursued.
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Opuntia ficus-indica L., a plant species that is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes, inflammation-related diseases, gastric ailments, and wounds on the skin, was studied for the first time. In this research, the phytochemistry, total phenolic compounds, in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of the ethanolic extracts obtained from the cladodes, bark, and seeds of the plant collected from Mediterranean and Continental ecosystems are evaluated. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were further explained by DFT calculations. The phenolic acid derivatives, caffeic acid and ferulic acid, were studied to explain the structural dependency of the antioxidant activity of these compounds. In quantitative analysis, the results revealed that cladode ethanolic extract Mediterranean (CEEM), bark ethanolic extract continental (BEEC) and the seed ethanolic extract Mediterranean (SEEM) presented a high amount of total phenolic with a value of 177.33±2.01 μg gallic acid equivalent, 9.18±2.23 μg quercetin equivalent and 110.63±0.41 μg catechin equivalent/mg dry extract, respectively. Through the DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power assays, SEEM showed high in vitro antioxidant of the order of 0.08±0.00 and 1.03±0.03 mg/mL, respectively. Caffeic acid shows higher biological activity owing to higher HOMO energy (-6.0438 eV), higher softness 6.7536 Hartree-1, while a smaller value of the energy gap (4.0292 eV). Overall, the computational results indicate that both caffeic and ferulic acids are highly reactive antioxidants while caffeic acid appears to have a slightly stronger electron-donating ability. In conclusion, the O. ficus-indica fruit provides effective natural antioxidants for the patient, and may prove to have potential health benefits as natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.
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DOI: 10.25081/jp.2026.v18.10080
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