Prickly Pear

LATIN NAME

Opuntia ficus indica

COMMON NAME

Prickly pear, Nopal

HABITAT

Plant originating from Mexico, present in the Mediterranean basin as far as Australia

EXTRACT FROM THE PRICKLY PEAR DEVELOPED BY OUR LABORATORIES: TEX-OE, OPUNTIA MESOCARP EXTRACT^® (Texinfine Opuntia extract)

The natural protection of the prickly pear, contained in the extract : TEX-OE, Opuntia mesocarp extract^®.

The prickly pear is the fruit produced by the prickly pear, a plant of the Cactaceae family. This edible fruit, being covered with small and fine thorns, is meticulously cleaned to recover the precious mesocarp, part of the pericarp. Opuntia ficus indica is one of the few fleshy fruit plants that can withstand direct and permanent exposure to sunlight with significant temperature variations. In order to resist such environmental conditions, this fruit is able to synthesize stress proteins called Heat Shock Proteins (HSP). These proteins, which are highly preserved during evolution, are found in practically all living organisms, from bacteria to humans and thus ensure the protection of cells exposed to all types of cellular stress (variations in temperature, pressure or altitude, radiation, injuries, intensive sports training, microbial attacks, toxic agents or bioerosion) likely to permanently alter the conformation of proteins.