Prickly Pear

Names

Common Names

• Sweet Pickle
• Indian-fig
• Prickly pear
• Tuna Cactus
• Barbary-fig
• Indian-fig prickly-pear
• mission cactus
• mission prickly-pear
• prickly-pear
• smooth mountain prickly-pear
• smooth prickly-pear
• spineless cactus
• sweet prickly-pear
• tuberous prickly-pear
• Barbary fig
• Barberry Fig
• Cochineal Fig
• Common Prickly Pear
• English Prickly-Pear
• Indian fig opuntia
• Irish-Mittens
• Pest Prickly Pear
• Prickly Pear Cactus
• Sour Prickly-Pear
• Sweet Prickly Pear
• White Tungy
• cactus pear

Regional and Traditional Names

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Opuntia vulgaris
• Opuntia chinensis
• Opuntia apurimacensis
• Opuntia joconostle
• Cactus opuntia
• Cactus chinensis
• Cactus ficus
• Cactus ficus-indica
• Opuntia cordobensis
• Opuntia undulata
• Opuntia tribuloides
• Opuntia castillae
• Opuntia paraguayensis
• Opuntia obovata
• Opuntia mexicana
• Opuntia ficus-indica f. reticulata
• Opuntia ficus-indica var. elongata
• Platyopuntia cordobensis
• Platyopuntia apurimacensis
• Platyopuntia vulgaris
• Platyopuntia ficus-indica
• Opuntia fusicaulis
• Cactus opuntia var. latifolius
• Cactus opuntia var. ficus-indica
• Opuntia incarnadilla
• Opuntia leucosticta
• Opuntia arcei
• Opuntia tuna-blanca
• Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten
• Opuntia leiascheinvariana

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Caryophyllales, it falls under the family Cactaceae. It is specifically identified by the genus Opuntia within the species Opuntia ficus-indica.

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several regions of Southwestern Europe. It can be found growing in the Balearic Islands, known as Baleares. Its presence is also noted in the territory of Corsica. Furthermore, the species is distributed throughout France and Portugal. Finally, it is widely established within the borders of Spain.

Plant Parts

Chemicals

Opuntia ficus-indica has 122 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include polyphenols, Flavonoids, linoleic acid, Ash, BETA-SITOSTEROL.

polyphenols

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
2. Saudi journal of biological sciences
3. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
2. International journal of environmental health research
3. Scientific reports

linoleic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Ash

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of plant physiology

BETA-SITOSTEROL

1. Dr. Duke
2. Fitoterapia

Betalains

1. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
2. Scientific reports

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Nutrients

Fatty acids

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Scientific reports

GLUTAMIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

arginine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Opuntia ficus-indica has 582 reported activities identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Angiogenic, Anticancer.

Most Reported Activities

Medicinal Uses

Opuntia ficus-indica has 32 reported medicinal uses identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include oxidative stress, antidiabetic, antioxidant, cancer, diabetes mellitus.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations