Molecules 2014, 19, 14879-14901; doi:10.3390/molecules190914879 OPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Review Nopal Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) as a Source of Bioactive Compounds for Nutrition, Health and Disease Karym El-Mostafa 1,2,†, Youssef El Kharrassi 1,2,†, Asmaa Badreddine 1,2, Pierre Andreoletti 1, Joseph Vamecq 3, M’Hammed Saïd El Kebbaj 4, Norbert Latruffe 1, Gérard Lizard 5, Boubker Nasser 2 and Mustapha Cherkaoui-Malki 1,* 1 Laboratoire Bio-PeroxIL, EA7270 University of Bourgogne, 6 Bd Gabriel, Dijon F-21000, France 2 Laboratoire de Biochimie et Neurosciences, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Hassan I, BP 577, Settat 26 000, Morocco 3 Inserm and HMNO, CBP, CHRU Lille, Lille 59037, France 4 Laboratoire de recherche sur les Lipoprotéines et l’Athérosclérose, Faculté des Sciences Ben M’sik, Avenue Cdt Driss El Harti BP. 7955, Université Hassan II-Mohammedia-Casablanca, Casablanca 20 000, Morocco 5 Inserm and Laboratoire Bio-PeroxIL, EA7270 University of Bourgogne, 6 Bd Gabriel, Dijon F-21000, France † These authors contributed equally to this work. * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +33-380-396-205. Received: 10 July 2014; in revised form: 4 September 2014 / Accepted: 8 September 2014 / Published: 17 September 2014 Abstract: Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly referred to as prickly pear or nopal cactus, is a dicotyledonous angiosperm plant. It belongs to the Cactaceae family and is characterized by its remarkable adaptation to arid and semi-arid climates in tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. In the last decade, compelling evidence for the nutritional and health benefit potential of this cactus has been provided by academic scientists and private companies.