An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Plant Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae)

Common Names
Indian Fig; Prickly Pear; Nopal; Nopalito
How this plant is used
Food
View the list of ubiquitous chemicals
List of plant chemicals.
Click on column headings to sort table by that column. *Unless otherwise noted all references are to (Duke, 1992)
Chemical Name Activity Count Plant Part Low Parts Per Million High Parts Per Million Standard Deviation Reference
ISOLEUCINE 3 Seed not available 6775.0 -0.47 Laferriere, J.E., 1988, Nutricomp Program, Nutricomp Database; reviewed in J. Ethnobiology 9(1):27-29.
ISOMALTOSE 0 Fruit not available not available not available Duke, 1992 *
ISORHAMNETIN 11 Flower not available 2500.0 not available Duke, 1992 *
ISORHAMNETIN-GLUCOSIDE 0 Flower not available not available not available List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
KAEMPFEROL 75 Flower not available not available not available Duke, 1992 *
KAEMPFEROL 75 Pt not available not available not available Duke, 1992 *
KILOCALORIES 0 Bud not available 1140.0 -1.00 Laferriere, J.E., 1988, Nutricomp Program, Nutricomp Database; reviewed in J. Ethnobiology 9(1):27-29.
KILOCALORIES 0 Fruit 670.0 3600.0 -0.09 Duke, 1992 *
LAURIC-ACID 7 Flower not available not available not available Duke, 1992 *
LEUCINE 2 Bud not available 7040.0 not available Laferriere, J.E., 1988, Nutricomp Program, Nutricomp Database; reviewed in J. Ethnobiology 9(1):27-29.
LEUCINE 2 Seed not available 12800.0 -0.41 Laferriere, J.E., 1988, Nutricomp Program, Nutricomp Database; reviewed in J. Ethnobiology 9(1):27-29.
LINOLEIC-ACID 27 Seed 39640.0 133590.0 0.23 Duke, 1992 *
LINOLEIC-ACID 27 Seed Oil not available 734000.0 1.35 Duke, 1992 *
LINOLEOYLDIOLEIN 0 Seed not available not available not available Rizk, A.F.M. and Al-Nowaihi, A.S., The Phytochemistry of the Horticultural Plants of Qatar, Scientific and Applied Research Centre, University of Qatar.
LUTEOLIN 78 Flower not available not available not available Rizk, A.F.M. and Al-Nowaihi, A.S., The Phytochemistry of the Horticultural Plants of Qatar, Scientific and Applied Research Centre, University of Qatar.
LUTEOLIN 78 Pt not available not available not available Duke, 1992 *
LYSINE 4 Bud not available 6005.0 not available Laferriere, J.E., 1988, Nutricomp Program, Nutricomp Database; reviewed in J. Ethnobiology 9(1):27-29.
LYSINE 4 Seed not available 6275.0 -0.79 Laferriere, J.E., 1988, Nutricomp Program, Nutricomp Database; reviewed in J. Ethnobiology 9(1):27-29.
MAGNESIUM 65 Bud not available 1420.0 -1.00 Laferriere, J.E., 1988, Nutricomp Program, Nutricomp Database; reviewed in J. Ethnobiology 9(1):27-29.
MAGNESIUM 65 Seed not available 790.0 -0.85 Laferriere, J.E., 1988, Nutricomp Program, Nutricomp Database; reviewed in J. Ethnobiology 9(1):27-29.
View the list of ubiquitous chemicals
List of plant activities.
Click on column headings to sort table by that column. *Unless otherwise noted all references are to (Duke, 1992)
Activity Chemical Count Reference
Apoptotic 6 Duke, 1992 *
Aromatase-Inhibitor 2 Journal of Medicinal Food 2: 235.1999.
Artemicide 2 Jung, J.H., Pummangura, S., Chaichantipyuth, c., Patarapanich, C., and McLaughlin, J.L. 1989. Bioactive Constituents of Melodorum fruticosum. Phytochemistry. 29(5): 1667-1670. 1990.
Asthma-preventive 1 Pizzorno, J.E. and Murray, M.T. 1985. A Textbook of Natural Medicine. John Bastyr College Publications, Seattle, Washington (Looseleaf).
Astringent 1 Martindale's 28th
Atherogenic 1 Pizzorno, J.E. and Murray, M.T. 1985. A Textbook of Natural Medicine. John Bastyr College Publications, Seattle, Washington (Looseleaf).
Bacteristat 1 Duke, 1992 *
Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Blocker 1 Duke, 1992 *
Beta-Blocker 2 Duke, 1992 *
Beta-Glucuronidase-Inhibitor 2 Duke, 1992 *
Bronchoconstrictor 1 Jeffery B. Harborne and H. Baxter, eds. 1983. Phytochemical Dictionary. A Handbook of Bioactive Compounds from Plants. Taylor & Frost, London. 791 pp.
Bronchostimulant 1 Martindale's 28th
Bruchifuge 1 Jacobson, M., Glossary of Plant-Derived Insect Deterrents, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, 213 p, 1990.
Bruchiphobe 2 Jacobson, M., Glossary of Plant-Derived Insect Deterrents, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, 213 p, 1990.
Calcium-Antagonist 4 Duke, 1992 *
Calcium-Channel-Blocker 1 Duke, 1992 *
cAMP-Phosphodiesterase-Inhibitor 2 Duke, 1992 *
Cancer-Preventive 27 Stitt, P. A. Why George Should Eat Broccoli. Dougherty Co, Milwaukee, WI, 1990, 399 pp.
Candidicide 2 Recently became Internat. J. Crude Drug Res. 28(1,2,3,4):1990, page 155.
Capillariprotective 1 Merck 11th Edition