{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T06:03:36Z","timestamp":1773122616815,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,8]],"date-time":"2026-03-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772928000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>A novel distilled alcoholic beverage was produced by fermenting yellow and red prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruits with two Cypriot grape varieties (Mavro and Xynisteri), followed by traditional distillation. Two spirit variants (45% and 59% v\/v alcohol) were prepared and assessed for physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, methanol, phenolic and flavonoid content, mineral composition, volatile profile, and sensory characteristics. Both spirits exhibited a pH of 3.83, total titratable acidity of 0.113% (expressed as citric acid), and methanol content between 0.38\u20131.85 g\/hL of 100% v\/v alcohol. Prickly pear addition enhanced the bioactive composition, with the yellow variant showing the highest flavonoid content (5.56 mg\/L quercetin) compared to control zivania. Antioxidant activity (FRAP assay) ranged from 1.00 to 1.49 mg FeSO4\/L. Mineral analysis revealed elevated manganese, cobalt, and nickel in yellow (59% v\/v) spirits, while red variants contained higher aluminum, platinum and magnesium. Volatile profiling showed increased ester and alcohol levels in 59% v\/v beverages, with yellow spirits enriched in fruity esters (e.g., ethyl acetate). Sensory testing confirmed a greater consumer preference for prickly pear beverages, particularly yellow (59% v\/v), which achieved a score of 9.7\/10 for overall acceptability. These findings highlight the potential of prickly pear to contribute to the chemical composition and sensory complexity of grape-based distilled spirits.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods15050953","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]],"date-time":"2026-03-09T17:16:03Z","timestamp":1773076563000},"page":"953","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Development and Characterization of a Novel Prickly Pear\u2013Grape Distilled Spirit"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7277-4062","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Artemis P.","family":"Louppis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michalis S.","family":"Constantinou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ioanna S.","family":"Kosma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anastasia V.","family":"Badeka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michael G.","family":"Kontominas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Spirits Alliance (2024). SPIRITS: Global Economic Impact Study 2024, Oxford Economics."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110482","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2021.110482","article-title":"Research opportunities: Traditional fermented beverages in Mexico. Cultural, microbiological, chemical, and functional aspects","volume":"147","author":"Trujillo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109307","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2020.109307","article-title":"Traditional fermented beverages in Mexico: Biotechnological, nutritional, and functional approaches","volume":"136","year":"2020","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108632","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lwt.2019.108632","article-title":"Chemical and sensorial characterization of a novel alcoholic beverage produced with native acai (Euterpe precatoria) from different regions of the Amazonas state","volume":"117","author":"Boeira","year":"2020","journal-title":"LWT"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100223","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijgfs.2020.100223","article-title":"Characterization and volatile profile of passion fruit spirit","volume":"21","author":"Oliveira","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Gastron. Food Sci."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111714","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lwt.2021.111714","article-title":"Physicochemical characterization, bioactive compounds, in vitro antioxidant activity, sensory profile and consumer acceptability of fermented alcoholic beverage obtained from Caatinga passion fruit (Passiflora cincinnata Mast.)","volume":"148","author":"Santos","year":"2021","journal-title":"LWT"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131049","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2021.131049","article-title":"Comparison of volatile compounds and sensory profiles of alcoholic black currant (Ribes nigrum) beverages produced with Saccharomyces, Torulaspora, and Metschnikowia yeasts","volume":"370","author":"Kelanne","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102830","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fbio.2023.102830","article-title":"Myrtle (Eugenia gracillima Kiaersk.) as a fermented alcoholic beverage alternative to wine: Preliminary study","volume":"54","author":"Feitosa","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Biosci."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"136184","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2023.136184","article-title":"Comparison of phenolic composition and sensory quality among pear beverages made using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora delbrueckii","volume":"422","author":"He","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105579","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfca.2023.105579","article-title":"Identification of quality markers for the geographical and botanical differentiation of Mediterranean prickly pears based on conventional physicochemical parameters, volatile compounds, sugars and colour","volume":"123","author":"Louppis","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Food Compos. Anal."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100591","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fbio.2020.100591","article-title":"Bio-functional alcoholic beverage preparation using prickly pear juice and its pulp in combination with sugar and blossom honey","volume":"35","author":"Karabagias","year":"2020","journal-title":"Food Biosci."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"AOAC INTERNATIONAL (2023). Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, AOAC INTERNATIONAL. [22nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1173","DOI":"10.1007\/s00217-023-04205-0","article-title":"Volatile aroma compounds of distilled \u201ctsipouro\u201d spirits: Effect of distillation technique","volume":"249","author":"Kokoti","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur. Food Res. Technol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.5344\/ajev.1965.16.3.144","article-title":"Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic-phosphotungstic acid reagents","volume":"16","author":"Singleton","year":"1965","journal-title":"Am. J. Enol. Vitic."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1795","DOI":"10.5740\/jaoacint.17-0066","article-title":"Validation of spectrophotometric methods for the determination of total polyphenol and total flavonoid content","volume":"100","author":"Jakobek","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. AOAC Int."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1151","DOI":"10.1021\/jf051960d","article-title":"Modified 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) method to measure antioxidant capacity of selected small fruits and comparison to ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2\u2032-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods","volume":"54","author":"Ozgen","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"625","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2003.11.006","article-title":"Characterization and safety evaluation of the traditional Greek fruit distillate \u201cMouro\u201d by flavor compounds and mineral analysis","volume":"86","author":"Soufleros","year":"2004","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111645","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2022.111645","article-title":"Relationship of methanol production with pectin and pectinase activity during apple wine fermentation and aging","volume":"159","author":"Han","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"European Union (2019). Regulation (EU) 2019\/787 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the Definition, Description, Presentation and Labelling of Spirit Drinks, the Use of the Names of Spirit Drinks in the Presentation and Labelling of Other Foodstuffs, the Protection of Geographical Indications for Spirit Drinks, the Use of Ethyl Alcohol and Distillates of Agricultural Origin in Alcoholic Beverages, and Repealing Regulation (EC) No 110\/2008, European Union."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tsegay, T.T.Z., Basavanahally Sathyanarayana, C., and Lemma, S.M. (2018). Optimization of cactus pear fruit fermentation process for wine production. Foods, 7.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods7080121"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4449","DOI":"10.1002\/fsn3.1745","article-title":"Total titratable acidity and organic acids of wines produced from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit and Lantana camara fruit blended fermentation process employed response surface optimization","volume":"8","author":"Tsegay","year":"2020","journal-title":"Food Sci. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"1","article-title":"Characterization and quantification of individual betalain and phenolic compounds in Mexican and Spanish prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) tissues: A comparative study","volume":"76","author":"Cano","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Food Compos. Anal."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6895","DOI":"10.1021\/jf025696p","article-title":"Antioxidant activities of Sicilian prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit extracts and reducing properties of its betalains: Betanin and indicaxanthin","volume":"50","author":"Butera","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100921","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fbio.2021.100921","article-title":"Enhancement of functional and sensory properties of eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) by fermentation with yuza peel and guava leaf","volume":"41","author":"Park","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Biosci."}],"container-title":["Foods"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/15\/5\/953\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]],"date-time":"2026-03-09T17:20:14Z","timestamp":1773076814000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/15\/5\/953"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,8]]},"references-count":24,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]}},"alternative-id":["foods15050953"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/foods15050953","relation":{},"ISSN":["2304-8158"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2304-8158","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,8]]}}}