Cactus plants are precious natural resources that provide nutritious food for people and livestock, especially in dryland areas. Originally published in 1995, this extensively revised edition provides fresh insights into the cactus plant’s genetic resources, physiological traits, soil preferences and vulnerability to pests. It provides invaluable guidance on managing the resource to support food security and offers tips on how to exploit the plant’s culinary qualities.
Opuntias are multipurpose plants that are increasingly being used in agricultural systems in arid and semi-arid areas. Due to its high water-use efficiency, it is particularly useful as forage in times of drought and in areas where few other crops can grow, and it is now considered a key component for the productivity and sustainability of these regions. This publication presents current scientific and practical information on the use of the cactus Opuntia as forage for livestock.
This publication capitalizes on the experience of scientists from the North Africa and Near East countries, in collaboration with experts from around the world, specialized in the different aspects of greenhouse crop production. It provides a comprehensive description and assessment of the greenhouse production practices in use in Mediterranean climate areas that have helped diversify vegetable production and increase productivity. The publication is also meant to be used as a reference and tool for trainers and growers as well as other actors in the greenhouse vegetables value chain in this region.
The Opuntia fruits, commonly known as cactus pears or prickly pears, have been suggested by the Food and Agriculture Organization to be a promising and strategic crop in regions suffering from lack of water. In Mexico, India, South Africa, and the Mediterranean, the Opuntia fruits have become popular due to their nutritive value and health-promoting benefits, including antioxidant, antiulcerogenic and antiatherogenic traits and protective effects against LDL oxidation. Additionally, readily absorbable sugars, high vitamin C and mineral content, and a pleasant flavour make Opuntia tailor-made for novel foods. Due to their ecological advantages, high functional value, and health-related traits, Opuntia fruits can be highly exploited in different food processing applications. For instance, Opuntia cactus fruits are used for the preparation of juices and marmalades; Opuntia cactus plants are used to feed animals in African and Latin American countries; Peruvian farmers cultivate Opuntia cactus for growing the cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) insect and producing the natural dye carmine; and the commercial production of food and non-food products from Opuntia has been established in Mexico, USA and several Mediterranean countries. Opuntia spp.: Chemistry, Bioactivity and Industrial Applications creates a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on Opuntia cactus with special emphasis on its horticulture, post-harvest, marketability, chemistry, functionality, health-promoting properties, technology and processing. The text includes detailed discussion of the impact of traditional and innovative processing on the recovery of high-added value compounds from Opuntia spp. by-products. Later chapters explore the potential applications of Opuntia spp. in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.
The world population has been increasing day by day, and demand for food is rising. Despite that, the natural resources are decreasing, and production of food is getting difficult. At the same time, about one-quarter of what is produced never reaches the consumers due to the postharvest losses. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to efficiently handle, store, and utilize produce to be able to feed the world, reduce the use of natural resources, and help to ensure sustainability. At this point, postharvest handling is becoming more important, which is the main determinant of the postharvest losses. Hence, the present book is intended to provide useful and scientific information about postharvest handling of different produce.
Nutritional Composition of Fruit Cultivars provides readers with the latest information on the health related properties of foods, making the documentation of the nutritive value of historical cultivars especially urgent, especially before they are lost and can't be effectively compared to modern cultivars. Because there is considerable diversity and a substantial body of the compositional studies directed towards commercial varieties, this information is useful for identifying traits and features that may be transposed from one variety to another. In addition, compositional and sensory features may also be used for commercialization and to characterize adulteration. Detailed characterization of cultivars can be used to identify "super-foods". Alternatively, unmasked historical cultivars may be the focus of reinvigorated commercial practices. Each chapter in this book has sections on the botanical aspects, the composition of traditional or ancient cultivars, the composition of modern cultivars, a focus on areas of research, the specialty of the communicating author of each chapter, and summary points. - Presents the botanical aspects and composition of both traditional and modern plants, including in-depth insight into current research, and overall summary points for each fruit for consistent comparison and ease of reference - Provides important information in the consideration of preservation, transference, or re-introduction of historical/traditional cultivars into current crop science - Provides details on compositional and sensory parameters, from aroma and taste to micro- and macronutrients - Includes data on nutraceuticals and novel components that have proven to impact on, or be important in, food quality, storage, processing, storage, and marketing
Cactaceae is a botanical family composed of arborescent, shrub, climbing, globose, discoid or epiphytic species, being almost all endemic to the Americas. Cactaceae occurs between latitudes 35o North and South, both at sea level and up to over 5000m altitude. In this way, their species have the capacity to grow in different ecosystems. However, the greatest diversity is found in arid and semi-arid regions, where they are important sources of resources for several species of vertebrates and invertebrates, mainly in the drought season, when there is a great shortage of resources.In addition, some species of cacti represent an important source of food resources for humans and their herds, as well as having enormous ornamental value. Thus, cacti have always aroused the because of their morphological peculiarities and chemical properties. Due to this, cacti have now been the subject of diverse studies. This book brings studies of several areas of plant biology, ecology, conservation and uses of cacti.The first four chapters compose the part related to ecology and conservation. Several species of Cactaceae in Brazil and the world are seriously endangered, with about 31% of the family categorized as threatened. Chapter 1 discusses the importance and how the ex situ conservation of cacti is carried out in the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. In Chapter 2, the authors carried out population studies of two species of endemic cacti of Chapada Diamantina, Brazil, in order to evaluate the population structure of the species for decision-making in relation to their conservation. In Chapter 3, authors studied the biogeography and conservation of Discocactus species that are endemic to South America. In Chapter 4, the authors discuss the floral morphology and the ecological interactions highlighting the importance of conservation of cacti for ecosystems maintenance. Chapters 5 to 10 address issues related to the uses and significance of cacti. Chapter 5 discusses cacti of the genus Pereskia with a healthy diet alternative due to its nutritional properties. The toxicological evaluation, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of plant extracts is discussed in Chapter 6, specifically, roots of Cereus jamacaru. In Chapter 7 the use of fibers from Opuntia species in the manufacture of Agave juice is evaluated, due to the importance of including fibers in human consume, because dietary fiber may contribute in the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular illnesses. The antioxidant activity of prickly pear of Opuntia is discussed in Chapter 8, because besides betalains, prickly pear contains vitamins and phenolics. In Chapter 9, the research describes the industrial applications of the berry as well as key points for future research. And in Chapter 10, bioactive compounds of Opuntia oligacantha were determined, as well as their antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity and shelf life.All the studies presented in this book are of great importance and serve as a basis for further research to be carried out to make the species of the Cactaceae family be seen beyond their ornamental value.
This book focuses on various tropical fruit tree species management for climate change including mitigation strategies and technological countermeasures taken by researchers, progressive growers and commercial companies to overcome the adverse changes. It can be considered as a unique source emphasizing the fruit species solitary not by subject as usual to enable readers reaching directly to their crop of interest. The content includes genetic resources conservation, remote sensing and environmental certification. Increasing attention of society toward information and measures taken by various stakeholders about climate change risks and threats makes this book very timely. Key points • Provides a contemporary view of the impact of climate change on cultivation of individual fruit species. • Offers modern approaches for mitigating the adverse impact of climate change on fruits cultivation. • Describes research progress of understanding and combating the impact of climate change on fruits production. • Illustrates presented concepts with relevant figures and tabulated data.
