Cactus pear food quality: carbohydrates, seed oils and antioxidants.

Research Outputs:

Noku Shongwe: Evaluation of the effect of cultivar, location and season on the lipid content, fatty acid profile and quality of seed oil from South African cactus pears.
Student obtains MSc in 2012, cum laude.

Albie du Toit: Evaluation of the antioxidant content (ascorbic acid, betalains, total phenolics and carotenes) from the fruit (peel, pulp and seeds) and cladodes as well as processed products from different cactus pear cultivars.
The student evaluated the antioxidant content on the fresh fruit and cladodes (season 1). The processed products have been manufactured (season 2) and antioxidant analysis is currently being done.

Jaco de Beer: Evaluation of the saccharide content (mono-, di- and poli-) of cactus pear fruit from South African cactus pear cultivars.
Mono- and disaccharides, as well as polisaccharides were extracted and characterized.
The student is in process of writing his dissertation.