Seeds and pulp of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) were compared in terms of fatty acids, lipid classes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins and b-carotene. Total lipids (TL) in lyophilised seeds and pulp were 98.8 (dry weight) and 8.70 g/kg, respectively. High amounts of neutral lipids were found (87.0% of TL) in seed oil, while glycolipids and phospholipids occurred at high levels in pulp oil (52.9% of TL). In both oils, linoleic acid was the dominating fatty acid, followed by palmitic and oleic acids, respectively. Tri- enes, g-and a-linolenic acids, were estimated in higher amounts in pulp oil, while a-linolenic acid was only detected at low levels in seed oil. Neutral lipids were characterised by higher unsaturation ratios, while saturates were higher levels in polar lipids. The sterol marker, b-sitosterol, accounted for 72% and 49% of the total sterol content in seed and pulp oils, respectively. Vitamin E level was higher in the pulp oil than in the seed oil, whereas g-tocopherol was the predominant component in seed oil and d-tocopherol was the main constituent in pulp oil. b-Carotene was also higher in pulp oil than in seed oil. Oils under investigation resembled each other in the level of vitamin K 1 (0.05% of TL). Information provided by the present work is of importance for further chemical investigation of cactus pear oil and industrial utilisation of the fruit as a raw material of oils and functional foods.
The trend towards natural ingredients and products promoting health is likely to increase. The data obtained will be important as an indication of the potentially nutraceutical and economic utility of cactus pear as a new source of fruit oils and functional foods. Moreover, these results provide useful information for the industrial application of cactus pear fruits. Evi- dently fruit pulp provides low yields of oil, but is a rich source of essential fatty acids, sterols, carotenes and fat- soluble vitamins. Utilisation of the entire pulp makes commercialisation of oil more economic, reduces wastes from seeds and procures hitherto neglected substances for technological and nutritional purposes. Addition of cactus pear oil to mixed dishes and desserts could have an impact on the amount of essential ingredients in diet. Furthermore, it can be assumed that deoiled pulp will yield a more stable juice.