Prickly Pear Seed Oil · Antioxidant Plant Oil

Hair care

Used to moisturize hair and help restore its shine and strength.

Other Properties

Soothing: Contains compounds such as β-sitosterol, flavonoids and oleic acid that give it soothing properties, useful in products for stressed-looking skin.

Its phytochemicals also contribute purifying properties.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

2.

Although focused on surface chemistry, this document is cited as a source for specific analytical method data.

Technical information: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

Prickly Pear Seed Oil (Opuntia spp.)

Prickly pear seed oil, also known as cactus pear or nopal seed oil, is a valuable plant oil obtained from the fruit seeds of several Opuntia species, especially Opuntia ficus-indica. This oil is a by-product of the prickly pear juice industry.

Antioxidant Activity

Shows antioxidant activity in vivo and in vitro. Its polyphenols and tocopherols contribute to this capacity.

Soothing Properties

Phenolic compounds such as quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol contribute to its antioxidant properties.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

3. Food Applications:

Source of essential nutrients for the skin:

It is a promising source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially linoleic acid (omega-6).

It contains tocopherols (vitamin E) and carotenoids, which act as natural antioxidants to preserve the lipid components.

Rich in phytosterols, important components of oil quality.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

In some properties its composition is similar to that of other common plant oils such as sesame, sunflower, corn, grape seed, soybean and olive oil.

Quality and production considerations: the composition and quality of prickly pear seed oil are influenced by cultivar, season, location and extraction method. The low oil content of the seeds compared with other oilseeds, and the laborious, time-consuming production process, result in a high commercial price, which has limited its use mainly to cosmetics.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

References for the Prickly Pear Seed Oil (Opuntia spp.) technical data sheet

Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan Hassanien (Editor). Bioactive Phytochemicals from Vegetable Oil and Oilseed Processing By-products. Reference Series in Phytochemistry. Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 20231.

Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan (Editor). Cold Pressed Oils: Green Technology, Bioactive Compounds, Functionality, and Applications. Academic Press (Elsevier), 2018197.

Ennouri, M., Evelyne, B., Laurence, M., Hamadi, A. "Fatty acid composition and rheological properties of prickly pear seed oil." Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 26, 835–837513.

Aruwa, C.E., Amoo, S.O., & Kudanga, T. "Opuntia (Cactaceae) plant compounds: A comprehensive review." Journal of Ethnopharmacology516.

Aruwa, C.E., Amoo, S.O., & Kudanga, T. "Phenolic compound profile and biological activities of Opuntia prickly pear fruit and peel extracts." Food Research International536.

Ramírez-Moreno, S. "Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Cactus Pear Opuntia Seed". Journal of Food Quality. and identification of fatty acids in oils extracted from seeds of different · Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp. fruit species. It also refers to studies on fatty acid composition.

Regalado-Rentería, E. "Assessment of extraction methods and biological value": quantifies metabolites such as squalene, β-sitosterol and γ-tocopherol in prickly pear seeds. Describes prickly pear oil (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) as similar to argan oil in some respects and compares its oil content and fatty acid composition with cottonseed and grape seed.

Bardaa, S. "BioMed Research International - The Effect of Prickly Pear, Pumpkin, and Linseed Oils on Biological".

Boukhris, M. "Characterization of Phenolic Compounds Extracted": describes the Klason lignin extraction method for cactus seeds and the analysis of phenolic compounds.

Ennouri, M. "Chemical Characterization of Opuntia ficus-indica Seed Oil": highlights that Opuntia ficus-indica seed oil has a high degree of unsaturation (82.3 %), with linoleic acid as the main fatty acid (60.61 %), followed by oleic (19.77 %), palmitic (13.83 %) and stearic (3.16 %). Notes that its composition is comparable to grape seed oil because of its high linoleic acid content, and that β-sitosterol is the main sterol (61.42 %).

Bowles, E. J. "Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Oils 3rd Edition". Provides references on extraction techniques, essential oil constituents and biological activities.

Simon, Ž. "Circular-economy-driven additive manufacturing – A review" (Journal of Industrial…): although not mainly about prickly pear oil, this document covers material referencing methodology and origin.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

Richter, B. E. "Cold press in oil extraction. A review": a document reviewing cold pressing as an oil extraction technique.

de Wit, M. "Cold pressed cactus pear seed oil: Quality and stability": evaluates the yield, fatty acid composition, physicochemical properties, quality and stability of cold-pressed cactus pear seed oil from twelve cultivars. Oil content ranged from 2.51–5.96 %, and linoleic acid was the main fatty acid (58.56–65.73 %).

Ramírez Montoya, M.

"Fatty acid composition and rheological…": a document covering fatty acid composition and rheological properties.

da Silva, J. C. "Extracción de Hemicelulosa": although it deals with hemicellulose extraction, this document mentions various extraction and chemical characterization methods.

Carrillo-Verástegui, K. A. Highlights the upcycling of surpluses and residues into bioproducts and bioenergy, including oils.

Hayes, D. G., Hildebrand, D. F., & McKeon, T. A. (Eds.). "Industrial Oil Crops". This book provides information on the fatty acid composition of seed oils and genetic engineering methods to modify their profile.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

O'Brien, R. D. (Eds.). "Introduction to Fats and Oils Technology". This book gives an overview of fats and oils technology, including refining, hydrogenation and applications.

Yeddes, N. "Supercritical SC‐CO2 and Soxhlet n‐Hexane Extract of Tunisian Opuntia ficus indica". Journal of Lipids. Compares the fatty acid composition of O. ficus-indica seed oil extracted with supercritical CO2 and Soxhlet with n-hexane.

Al-Naqeb, G. "Micronutrient content of cold-pressed, hot-pressed, solvent extracted and RBD canola oil": although focused on canola oil, it describes methods for determining tocopherols, sterols and polyphenols that are relevant to prickly pear oil.

Int. J. Mol. Sci.

Coşkuner, Y. "Monitoring of seed composition of Prickly pear". Food Quality. Describes the composition of prickly pear seeds.

Sawaya, W. N. "Nutritive value of prickly pear seeds, Opuntia ficus-indica". Journal of Food Science. Provides information on the composition of prickly pear seeds.

Luthria, D. L. "Oil Extraction and Analysis Critical Issues and Competitive Studies". This book covers oil extraction and analysis methods, including Soxhlet and supercritical fluids.

Ferreira, R. M. "Opuntia ficus-indica seed pomace extracts … for body lotions": details the hydrothermal extraction of prickly pear seed residues for cosmetics.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

Pagliaro, M. "Opuntia ficus-indica seed oil: Biorefinery and bioeconomy": notes that Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) oil is used in high-end cosmetic products.

M.D. "Opuntia ficus-indica seed pomace extracts … for body lotions": contains information on the cosmetic uses of prickly pear seed pomace extracts.

Ramadan, M.F., Moussa, T.E., Rohn, S. (Eds.). "Opuntia spp.: Chemistry, Bioactivity and Industrial Applications". This book provides a comprehensive review of the chemistry, bioactivity and industrial applications of Opuntia spp.

Bensadón, S. "PHYSICOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND OXIDATIVE STABILITY OF OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA SEED OIL FROM MOROCCO": details the physicochemical composition and oxidative stability of Opuntia ficus-indica seed oil.

Zaouali, Y. "Phenolic Compounds Occurrence in Opuntia". Molecules. Covers the taxonomic classification of Opuntia species and their phenolic compounds.

Masmoudi, M. "Physico-chemical and antioxidant properties of oils and by-products obtained by cold-press extraction of Tunisian Opuntia": presents the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of oils and by-products obtained by cold extraction of Opuntia spp. seeds from Tunisia.

Karabagias, V. K. "Prickly Pear Seed Oil by Shelf-Grown Cactus Fruits": describes the determination of total phenolic compounds in prickly pear seed oil using the Folin-Ciocalteu method.

Vadke, V. S. "Principles of Vegetable Oil Extraction". This book covers plant oil extraction technologies, including mechanical methods and solvent extraction.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

Andreu-Coll, L. "Profile of Volatile Aroma-Active Compounds of Cactus Seed Oil (Opuntia ficus-indica) from Different Locations in Morocco and Their Fate during Seed

Describes the volatile composition of prickly pear fruit pulp and analysis methods.

Bedia, J. "Role-of-the-surface-chemistry-of-carbon-xerogel-ba_2024_Journal-of-

Paquot, C. "Standard Methods for the Analysis of Oils, Fats and Derivatives". This book sets standard methods for analyzing oils, fats and derivatives.

Dinand, E. "Structure and morphology of cladodes and spines of Opuntia ficus-indica – cellulose extraction": describes a method for extracting cellulose microfibrils from Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes.

Suliman, M. B.

Cevallos Camacho, I. M. "Técnicas de identificación y cuantificación de los principios activos con potencial uso en el sector cosmético encontrados en las especies del género Opuntia" (identification and quantification of actives with potential cosmetic use in Opuntia species). Monograph from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. An extensive resource detailing the phytochemical composition, active compounds and identification and quantification techniques relevant to the cosmetic industry.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

Prickly Pear Seed Oil: Nature's secret for radiant-looking skin. Discover the power of a Mexican treasure, extracted from the seeds of the nopal cactus fruit.

Introduction: A gift from the heart of Mexico. Imagine an oil born from the resilience and abundance of the Mexican desert. Prickly pear seed oil comes from the fruit of the nopal cactus, a plant deeply rooted in Mexico's history and culture. This special oil is not only a product of extraordinary quality but also an act of care for our planet, since it is obtained from seeds once considered waste, supporting a responsible, sustainable production cycle.

1. What makes prickly pear seed oil so special?

It is a natural concentrate of beauty benefits, thanks to its unique combination of essential nutrients:

• Deep nourishment for your skin: it is exceptionally rich in linoleic acid, a vital nutrient that deeply nourishes. This fatty acid profile makes it similar to other top-quality plant oils, such as grape seed oil.
• Natural antioxidant protection: contains gamma-tocopherol, a potent form of natural vitamin E, and other phenolic compounds that help protect the skin from free-radical damage.
• Purity and stability: it has a balanced, stable composition rich in phytosterols (such as beta-sitosterol), giving it an optimal texture and shelf life.

Information obtained from technical literature: Opuntia ficus-indica / Opuntia spp.

2. Transformative benefits for everyday use: the natural richness of prickly pear oil translates into tangible benefits:

A premium skin care ingredient. Its high concentration of linoleic acid and natural antioxidants makes it ideal for moisturizing, nourishing and protecting the skin, helping improve the look of its elasticity and radiance. A treasure for creams, serums and body oils.

An eco-conscious choice. A guarantee of excellence. It meets the quality standards of the best plant oils; by using seeds that were once discarded, it is a pure product with controlled acidity; we support a circular-economy model. Choosing this oil means offering all its benefits naturally and effectively, and supporting a product that values resources and reduces environmental impact.

Conclusion: More than an oil, a lifestyle choice: prickly pear seed oil is the perfect fusion of ancient wisdom and sustainable innovation. It is not just an oil; it is a multifunctional beauty ingredient that brings together the power of nature for your beauty and the well-being of the planet.

It is the secret ingredient, 100 % of Mexican origin, for those seeking what is authentic, effective and responsible.

Discover the essence of the desert. Discover prickly pear oil.

Information obtained from technical literature

Storage: Container tightly closed and full, protected from light and heat (ideally below 25 °C/77 °F). Once opened, minimize the air in the container to prevent oxidation.

Precautions: Low-hazard product. Avoid contact with eyes. Spills make surfaces slippery.

Technical information for formulators: This sheet describes industrial uses of the raw material in the development of cosmetic products. It is not an efficacy claim for any finished product. The person responsible for the formulation must validate the concentration, compatibility and claims of their product in accordance with applicable regulations.

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