Tunç Yazgan, Yaman Mehmet, Yılmaz Kadir Uğurtan, Khadivi Ali, Mishra Daya Shankar
Republic of Türkiye, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, Hatay Olive Research Institute, Hassa Station, 31700, Hassa, Hatay, Türkiye.
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Erciyes University, 38030, Melikgazi, Kayseri, Türkiye.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jun 5;15(1):19755. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04726-6.
Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.) is a resilient fruit species gaining importance due to its nutritional and health-promoting properties, especially in arid and semi-arid regions like Türkiye. Despite its growing significance, limited comprehensive research exists on the variability in its biochemical and nutraceutical traits. This study aimed to assess 100 wild cactus pear accessions collected from Hatay province, Türkiye evaluating a broad range of traits, including biochemical properties, antioxidant activities, fatty acid profiles, organic acid, mineral compositions, and sensory characteristics. Extensive variability was observed among the accessions. Total phenolics ranged from 68.17 to 109.92 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹ FW, antioxidant activity (ABTS) from 13.74 to 35.40 mmol Trolox kg⁻¹ DW, and β-carotene from 3.11 to 6.87 µg β-CE 100 g⁻¹ FW. Notably, linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid were the predominant fatty acids, while citric acid was the major organic acid. High levels of essential minerals such as potassium (1473.21-2113.57 mg kg⁻¹ DW) and calcium (201.77-325.91 mg kg⁻¹ DW) were found. Sensory evaluations revealed accessions with high aroma, sweet taste, and juiciness. Significant positive correlations were detected between total phenolics and antioxidant activity (DPPH, r = 0.45, p ≤ 0.01) and β-carotene and antioxidant activity (ABTS, r = 0.55, p ≤ 0.01). A total of 20 superior genotypes were identified based on their exceptional biochemical and organoleptic traits. The first five of these genotypes are 'CP53', 'CP61', 'CP6', 'CP44', and 'CP15'. Principal component analysis (PCA) results showed that the first three components explained 26.40% of the total variation, with PC1 and PC2 being key for distinguishing cactus pear genotypes based on nutritional and sensory traits relevant to breeding programs. Within the framework of hierarchical cluster analysis, the similarity index ranged from 0.59 to 0.94, with the highest similarity observed between the genotypes 'CP50' and 'CP56'. The cactus pear accessions studied demonstrated significant potential for use in breeding programs aimed at enhancing fruit quality for nutritional and industrial purposes. These findings contribute valuable insights for the conservation and utilization of wild cactus pear genetic resources, supporting the development of functional food products and sustainable cultivation strategies in Mediterranean climates.
仙人掌果（Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.）是一种适应性强的水果品种，因其营养和促进健康的特性而日益重要，尤其是在土耳其这样的干旱和半干旱地区。尽管其重要性不断增加，但关于其生化和营养特性变异性的全面研究仍然有限。本研究旨在评估从土耳其哈塔伊省收集的100份野生仙人掌果种质，评估一系列广泛的特性，包括生化特性、抗氧化活性、脂肪酸谱、有机酸、矿物质组成和感官特性。在这些种质中观察到了广泛的变异性。总酚含量在68.17至109.92毫克没食子酸当量/100克鲜重之间，抗氧化活性（ABTS）在13.74至35.40毫摩尔 Trolox/千克干重之间，β-胡萝卜素在3.11至6.87微克β-胡萝卜素当量/100克鲜重之间。值得注意的是，亚油酸、油酸和棕榈酸是主要脂肪酸，而柠檬酸是主要有机酸。发现了高水平的必需矿物质，如钾（1473.21 - 2113.57毫克/千克干重）和钙（201.77 - 325.91毫克/千克干重）。感官评价显示，有些种质具有高香气、甜味和多汁性。在总酚与抗氧化活性（DPPH，r = 0.45，p≤0.０1）以及β-胡萝卜素与抗氧化活性（ABTS，r = 0.55，p≤0.０1）之间检测到显著的正相关。根据其优异的生化和感官特性，共鉴定出20个优良基因型。其中前五个基因型是“CP53”、“CP61”、“CP6”、“CP44”和“CP15”。主成分分析（PCA）结果表明，前三个成分解释了总变异的26.40%，其中PC1和PC2对于基于与育种计划相关的营养和感官特性区分仙人掌果基因型至关重要。在层次聚类分析框架内，相似性指数在0.59至0.94之间，基因型“CP50”和“CP56”之间的相似性最高。所研究的仙人掌果种质在旨在提高果实营养和工业品质的育种计划中有显著的应用潜力。这些发现为野生仙人掌果遗传资源的保护和利用提供了有价值的见解，支持了地中海气候下功能性食品的开发和可持续种植策略。
