opuntia ficus-indica

Opuntia ficus-indica is a species of cactus, commonly known as prickly pear or nopal, traditionally used as a food and folk medicine ingredient. It contains polyphenols, vitamins, betalains, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. Its components have demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, wound-healing, hepatoprotective, anti-obesity, and gastroprotective effects in preclinical and limited clinical studies. Its mechanisms are primarily attributed to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways, and it is being evaluated for potential supportive roles in diabetes, metabolic syndrome, benign prostatic hyperplasia, alcohol-induced hangover, hyperlipidemia, and wound healing. It is available as food, dietary supplement, and topical preparations, but not as a conventional pharmaceutical drug[1][2][3][4][5][7][8][9][10].

Brand names

nopal

Other names

prickly pearnopalIndian figbarbary figtuna cactuscactus pearcactus opuntiatunaOpuntia vulgarisOpuntia compressaOpuntia maximaOpuntia cordobensisOpuntia tuna-blancaCactus compressusPlatyopuntia vulgarisPlatyopuntia cordobensismission cactussmooth mountain