Ferocactus pilosus buds. From tissue composition to food technology

Material from Coahuila

Faleye and colleagues studied Ferocactus pilosus buds collected in April 2024 at Ejido Guadalupe Victoria in Coahuila state. The material was cut, dried and ground. Most results concern the powder, whose composition and behaviour differ from those of a fresh, highly hydrated bud. The paper combined analysis of basic components with tests of technological properties and extract composition. [Faleye et al. 2026]

Results were presented as means of three assay replicates. This design allows assessment of measurement variation in the material studied. The distribution of properties across the entire species would require samples from many plants and sites collected at different developmental stages. Origin, flowering stage and preparation define the scope of the characterisation presented. [Faleye et al. 2026]

Protein, lipids and crude fibre

In 100 g of dry material, an average of 11,99 g of protein and 1,67 g of lipids was measured. Protein was estimated using a method based on nitrogen content, and lipids as a fraction isolated by an appropriate analytical assay. The numbers describe the content of component categories in the prepared sample. The study does not present the amino acid composition or an investigation of bud protein digestibility. [Faleye et al. 2026, Table 1]

The fibre assay gave 19,33% of dry mass. A crude-fibre method was used, in which some cell-wall material remains after sample processing. Crude fibre and total dietary fibre are different analytical measures. The result describes the residue obtained by the stated method. The contents of individual soluble and insoluble dietary-fibre fractions were not established in this paper. [Faleye et al. 2026, methods and Table 1]

Mean carbohydrate content was reported as 54,89% and ash as 6,50%. Ash is the mineral residue after combustion of the material under assay conditions. Results were obtained using different methods, so individual analytical categories require their own interpretation. The comparison characterises the powder batch studied. A fresh portion would also require knowledge of its actual moisture content. [Faleye et al. 2026, Table 1]

How the powder retains water and oil

Technological properties describe how an ingredient behaves on contact with water or fat. The water absorption index in Table 1 was 4,71 g of water per gram of sample, and oil retention capacity was 1,34 g of oil per gram. Swelling capacity was reported as 6,13 ml/g. These measurements refer to the prepared powder and test conditions. Formation of dough, an emulsion or another product introduces additional interactions between ingredients. [Faleye et al. 2026, Table 1]

The water solubility index was 15%. Dissolution of some substances and retention of water by the residue represent two different processes. The first changes the composition of the liquid phase, while the second changes the amount of water remaining bound to particles. The authors interchanged the names of these indices in the discussion. The assignments and units from the results table are retained here. [Faleye et al. 2026, Table 1 and discussion]

Such properties can provide a starting point for research on texture and moisture retention in foods. The authors consider applications in plant-based and bakery products. However, they directly studied the powder material itself. Its suitability in a particular recipe depends on its proportion, particle size and contact with other ingredients, which remain subjects for future testing in this work. [Faleye et al. 2026]

Composition of phenolic fractions

Hydroethanolic extracts were separated into fractions and analysed chromatographically. Chromatography separates mixture components, while mass spectrometric detection provides information about ions generated from their molecules. Fifteen compounds were assigned on this basis, mainly flavonoids. Proposed identifications include glycosides of kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin. Composition differed between fractions. [Faleye et al. 2026, Table 4]

The profiles identified in this way provide an analytical characterisation of the extracts. Full confirmation of each structure requires agreement with a reliable standard and data distinguishing compounds of similar mass. A record of signal presence provides different information from the concentration of a substance in a bud. The publication primarily presents chromatographic assignments and distribution among the fractions obtained. [Faleye et al. 2026]

Spectrophotometric measurements were also expressed in gallic acid and catechin equivalents. An equivalent means an analytical response expressed relative to a standard. In Table 3, the authors summed both types of equivalents in a single column. Because two different standards were used, the sum has an ambiguous quantitative meaning. Reconstructing the actual mass of all polyphenols would require separate measurements of individual components. [Faleye et al. 2026, Table 3]

Chemical activity and a biological test

The fractions reacted in DPPH, ABTS and FRAP tests. Each describes a different aspect of chemical reaction associated with neutralising a selected radical or reducing iron ions. Comparing several tests allows mixture behaviour to be compared in different systems. Units in the methods description and results table remain inconsistent, so numerical values for these indices are not quoted. [Faleye et al. 2026, methods and Table 5]

Laboratory tests also showed partial inhibition of the growth of selected bacteria. The publication uses the term MIC for some of these results, although the reported values describe percentage reductions in growth. MIC means the lowest concentration completely inhibiting visible growth under defined test conditions. Partial inhibition remains a separate result and is presented within that scope here. [Faleye et al. 2026, Table 7–8]

The mixture's mechanism of action on particular cells was not separated among its components. The shelf life of a finished food product and the effects of bud consumption in humans were not tested either. The powder, chemical fractions and responses of laboratory models were characterised experimentally. These are successive, clearly defined stages in understanding the material, each with its own research questions. [Faleye et al. 2026]