Characterization and quantification of individual betalain and phenolic compounds in Mexican and Spanish prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill) tissues: A comparative study

Betalain and phenolic profiles of whole fruit, pulp and peel of 6 Mexican and Spanish prickly pear (Opuntia ficusindica L. Mill.) cultivars were characterized and quantified using a single extraction and HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF protocol. A total of 14 betalains were detected, where betanin and indicaxanthin were the most abundant. The purple cultivars Spanish Morada and Mexican Pelota showed the highest concentration of betacyanins (1,372. 2176 mu g/g dry whole fruit), whereas the greatest betaxanthin values were obtained in red Spanish Sanguinos and yellow Mexican Diamante cultivars (435-488 pg/g dry whole fruit). The detected 17 phenolics corresponded mostly to flavonoid (isorhamnetin, quercetin and kaempferol) glycosides and a phenolic acid, piscidic acid. The highest phenolic content was found in Spanish Morada cultivar (49,012 pg/g dry peel). The proposed HPLC methodology is a useful tool for the simultaneous and accurate analyses of betalains and phenolic compounds in O. ficus-indica fruit tissues.