Investigation of the mechanism of Opuntia ficus-indica by fractionation

Students: Olivia Tang, Linda Thierry

Faculty Mentor: Monica Lares

Chemistry

College of Science, Technology, and Business

There is a growing number of people with undiagnosed and untreated diabetes, especially within underrepresented groups in the United States. Previous research has shown that Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI), commonly known as Nopales or prickly pear, has helped reduce blood glucose levels after consumption in diabetic patients. While minimal research has proven the benefits of Nopales, the reason why and how it has hypoglycemic properties is still being examined. To study the effect of Nopales on the human body, three goals will be investigated: fractionate OFI to determine its hypoglycemic compounds, identify and maintain a cell line to analyze glucose uptake in cells, and observe and quantify the process of the reactions between OFI compounds and glucose within cells via a fluorescent assay. This research project aims to narrow the investigation of the mechanism of Opuntia ficus-indica and its interactions with glucose by means of fractionation. To do this, various fractions of the plant will be investigated and assayed.