Martínez-Romero D, Castillo S, Guillén F, Díaz-Mula HM, Zapata PJ, Valeroa D, Serranoba M. Aloe vera gel coating maintains quality and safety of ready-to-eatpomegranate arils. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2013.06.022. Martínez-Romero D, Alburquerque N, Valverde JM, Guillien F, Castillo S, Valero D, Serrano M. Postharvest sweet cherry quality and safety maintenance by Aloe vera treatment: a new edible coating. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2005.09.006.

Rhipsalis baccifera is the exception; it is native to both the Americas and the Old World, where it is found in tropical Africa, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka. One theory is it was spread by being carried as seeds in the digestive tracts of migratory birds; the seeds of Rhipsalis are adapted for bird distribution. Old World populations are polyploid, and regarded as distinct subspecies, supporting the idea that the spread was not recent. [44] The alternative theory is the species initially crossed the Atlantic on European ships trading between South America and Africa, after which birds may have spread it more widely. [45] Naturalized species Aguayo E, Escalona V, Silveira AC, Artés F. Quality of tomato slices disinfected with ozonated water. Food Sci Technol Int. 2014;20(3):227–35.The great majority of cacti have no visible leaves; photosynthesis takes place in the stems (which may be flattened and leaflike in some species). Exceptions occur in three (taxonomically, four) groups of cacti. All the species of Leuenbergeria, Pereskia and Rhodocactus are superficially like normal trees or shrubs and have numerous leaves with a midrib and a flattened blade (lamina) on either side. This group is paraphyletic, forming two taxonomic clades. Many cacti in the opuntia group (subfamily Opuntioideae) also have visible leaves, which may be long-lasting (as in Pereskiopsis species) or produced only during the growing season and then lost (as in many species of Opuntia). [11] The small genus Maihuenia also relies on leaves for photosynthesis. [13] The structure of the leaves varies somewhat between these groups. Opuntioids and Maihuenia have leaves that appear to consist only of a midrib. [14] They are fairly crunchy but can have a slimy texture, depending on how they’re prepared. The taste of nopales has been described as vegetal, slightly tart, and citrus-like ( 1). https://cales.arizona.edu/extension/ornamentalhort/landscapemgmt/plantmaterial/agave_cactipropagation.pdf

Whitaker JR, Lee CY. Recent advances in chemistry of enzymatic browning. An overview. In: Lee CY, Whitaker JR, editors. Enzymatic browning and its prevention. ACS symposium series 1995;600:1-7.A common usage for cactus fruit is as a diuretic. This means that it promotes healthy kidneys and bladders. It stops bloating, water retention, and infections in the urinary tract. Prior to modern medicine, Native Americans and Mexicans primarily used Opuntia as a coagulant for open wounds, using the pulp of the stem either by splitting the stem or scraping out the pulp. [32] Cacti whose stems are even smaller may be described as globular (or globose). They consist of shorter, more ball-shaped stems than columnar cacti. Globular cacti may be solitary, such as Ferocactus latispinus, or their stems may form clusters that can create large mounds. All or some stems in a cluster may share a common root. [11] Other forms Cactus flowers are pollinated by insects, birds and bats. None are known to be wind-pollinated and self-pollination occurs in only a very few species; for example the flowers of some species of Frailea do not open ( cleistogamy). [52] The need to attract pollinators has led to the evolution of pollination syndromes, which are defined as groups of "floral traits, including rewards, associated with the attraction and utilization of a specific group of animals as pollinators." [53]

Gheribia R, Puchotb L, Vergeb P, Jaoued-Grayaac N, Meznic M, Habibib Y, Khwaldia K. Development of plasticized edible films from Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage: a comparative study of various polyol plasticizers. Carbohydr Polym. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.02.085.Areoles are highly specialized and very condensed shoots or branches. In a normal shoot, nodes bearing leaves or flowers would be separated by lengths of stem (internodes). In an areole, the nodes are so close together, they form a single structure. The areole may be circular, elongated into an oval shape, or even separated into two parts; the two parts may be visibly connected in some way (e.g. by a groove in the stem) or appear entirely separate (a dimorphic areole). The part nearer the top of the stem then produces flowers, the other part spines. Areoles often have multicellular hairs ( trichomes) that give the areole a hairy or woolly appearance, sometimes of a distinct color such as yellow or brown. [11] Kator L, Hosea ZY, Ene OP. The Efficacy of Aloe-vera coating on postharvest shelf life and quality tomato fruits during storage. Asian Res J Agric. 2018. https://doi.org/10.9734/ARJA/2018/41540. Rasouli M, Saba MK, Ramezanian A. Inhibitory effect of salicylic acid and Aloe vera gel edible coating on microbial load and chilling injury of orange fruit. Sci Hortic. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.12.004. Supapvanich S, Mitrsang P, Srinorkham P, Boonyaritthongchai P, Wongs-Aree C. Effects of fresh Aloe vera gel coating on browning alleviation of fresh cut wax apple ( Syzygium samarangenese) fruit cv. Taaptimjaan. J Food Sci Technol. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-016-2262-4.