Mexico: Prickly pear candies with antioxidant properties
Prickly pears have antioxidant functional properties that are attributable to the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids and betalain compounds, stated engineer Teresa Herrera Longoria.
In an interview with the News Agency of the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), Herrera Longoria said that, apart from being a nutritional sweet, these jelly beans also provide health benefits.
"Just like vitamin C, the antioxidant properties help prevent the oxidation in cells, can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and degenerative diseases," said the researcher.
The specialist added that the prickly pears had beneficial effects because of the betalains in their red pigment and not because of the anthocyanins, which are presumed responsible for the fruit's antioxidant activity.
The natural pigments can be classified as anthocyanins, betalains, chlorophylls, ß-triketones, quinones, and carotenoids, which give the fruit its orange color.
"That's what interested us the most, maintaining the product's natural color and offering different varieties without requiring artificial coloring. Theses are very functional and nutritious sweet," said the engineer.
"My colleague, Luis Daniel Solis, is currently running more tests on the product in order to enrich it and offer the public a very healthy nutritional choice," she added.
The project was carried out by the then students of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), Maria Teresa Herrera Longoria and Luis Daniel Solis Padilla, with the advisory of Dr. Carolina Estefania Chavez Murillo, who specializes in the science of developing biotic products, and Oscar Javier Ramos Herrera.
In turn, Chavez Murillo said the idea was to create a confectionery for children and older people that had the advantage of having antioxidant compounds and low sugar.
"The product has a shelf time of at least six months and may eventually be exported and become an economic opportunity for growing prickly pears in the region," said the specialist.
Source: Notimex