Study of carbohydrates present in the cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (fodder palm), according to age and season

Erika Maria  de Oliveira RIBEIRO; Nicácio Henrique  da SILVA; José Luiz  de LIMA FILHO; Júlio  Zoe de BRITO; Maria da Paz  Carvalho da SILVA

Study of carbohydrates present in the cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (fodder palm), according to age and season

Autores

Erika Maria de Oliveira RIBEIRO

Nicácio Henrique da SILVA

José Luiz de LIMA FILHO

Júlio Zoe de BRITO

Maria da Paz Carvalho da SILVA

Editor

Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos

Descripción

Types and content of carbohydrates were evaluated by chemical (spectrophotometric assay) and physicochemical (Thin Layer Chromatography – TLC and High Performance Liquid Chromatography – HPLC) methods in some Opuntia ficus-indica varieties according to age and season. The samples comprised four varieties of palm (giant, copena F1, clone 20, and round palm). The results demonstrated that the four varieties of palm contain a good quantity of neutral and acid sugars in both summer and winter seasons. However, samples collected in the summer presented a higher content of carbohydrates specially glucose, fructose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose. The tertiary cladode (old cladode) presented almost the double content of sugar found in the quaternary cladodes (young cladodes). Pectic polysaccharides were sequentially extracted with water at 60 °C, and EDTA at 60 °C solution resulting in Water-Soluble Pectin (WSP) and a Chelating-Soluble Pectin (CSP) respectively. Galacturonic acid was detected in the fractions WSP and CSP. However, the fraction CSP presented the highest content of sugar acid.