{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T21:00:42Z","timestamp":1792789242104,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Mahasarakham University","id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/0453j3c58","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/0453j3c58","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigated the effects of colchicine treatment on phenolic and flavonoid profiles, organic acids, antioxidant activities, and structural characteristics of the epidermis and cortex of edible cactus [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.] cladodes at different maturity stages (1, 3, and 6 months). Cladodes were treated with 0, 0.5, and 1.0% colchicine for 24 h prior to cultivation. Colchicine significantly influenced metabolite accumulation, with responses varying across tissues and maturity stages. In the epidermis, total phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 942.67 to 1292.72 mg GAE\/100 g DW, while total flavonoid content (TFC) ranged from 509.42 to 1322.55 mg QE\/100 g DW. HPLC analysis further revealed marked increases in chlorogenic acid (6.25-fold), gentisic acid (3.47-fold), and gallic acid (63.9%), while rutin and apigenin were the predominant flavonoids. In contrast, the cortex accumulated higher levels of organic acids, particularly malic acid. FTIR and XRD analyses indicated that colchicine treatment did not substantially alter the major functional groups or crystalline characteristics of the cladodes. Pearson\u2019s correlation and heatmap analyses further revealed positive associations among phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities. These findings indicate that colchicine concentration and maturity stage were associated with distinct patterns of metabolite accumulation and antioxidant activity in edible cactus cladodes, supporting their potential application as functional food ingredients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods15183310","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T14:12:09Z","timestamp":1789999929000},"page":"3310","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of Colchicine Treatment on Bioactive Compounds and Structural Characteristics of the Epidermis and Cortex of Edible Cactus [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.] Cladodes at Different Maturity Stages"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Kriangsuk","family":"Boontiang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Technology, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand"},{"name":"Research Unit of Thai Food Innovation (TFI), Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8648-9947","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Natthakitti","family":"Boonnak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Technology, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Parinya","family":"Boonarsa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Faculty of Technology, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5447-096X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sirithon","family":"Siriamornpun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit of Thai Food Innovation (TFI), Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Faculty of Technology, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"981","DOI":"10.1002\/ird.2597","article-title":"Impacts of Population Growth and Climate Change on Food Production and Irrigation and Drainage Needs: A World-wide View","volume":"70","author":"Schultz","year":"2021","journal-title":"Irrig. Drain."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1053","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfutfo.2025.03.003","article-title":"Food 2050 Concept: The Trends That Shape the Future of Our Food","volume":"6","author":"Hamad","year":"2026","journal-title":"J. Future Foods"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Hirich, A., Choukr-Allah, R., and Ragab, R. (2020). The Potential of Cactus Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) as Food and Forage Crop. Emerging Research in Alternative Crops, Springer International Publishing."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.1007\/s11240-023-02454-1","article-title":"Morphological and Physio-Biochemical Responses of Cactus Pear (Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill.) Organogenic Cultures to Salt and Drought Stresses Induced in Vitro","volume":"154","author":"Radi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Plant Cell Tiss. Organ. Cult."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"287","DOI":"10.3390\/livers4020021","article-title":"Exploring the Potential Hepatoprotective Properties of Cactus (Cactaceae) in Liver Health and Disease Management: A Brief Review","volume":"4","author":"Vieira","year":"2024","journal-title":"Livers"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Martins, M., Ribeiro, M.H., and Almeida, C.M.M. (2023). Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Medicinal Properties of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. and Its Main Agro-Industrial Use: A Review. Plants, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/plants12071512"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14879","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules190914879","article-title":"Nopal Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) as a Source of Bioactive Compounds for Nutrition, Health and Disease","volume":"19","author":"Badreddine","year":"2014","journal-title":"Molecules"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Koufan, M., Choukrane, B., and Mazri, M.A. (2024). Structure\u2013Function Relationships and Health-Promoting Properties of the Main Nutraceuticals of the Cactus Pear (Opuntia spp.) Cladodes: A Review. Molecules, 29.","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules29194732"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Boontiang, K., Chaikwang, T., Chumroenphat, T., and Siriamornpun, S. (2026). Characterization of Bioactive Composition and Structural Properties of Epidermis and Cortex Tissues in Edible Cactus [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.] Cladodes at Different Maturity Stages. Foods, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods15142520"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1110","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sajb.2025.07.009","article-title":"Effect of Colchicine Treatment and Polyploidy Induction on Morphological, Biochemical, and Cytological Characteristics of Lepidium sativum Linn","volume":"184","author":"Pandey","year":"2025","journal-title":"S. Afr. J. Bot."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121338","DOI":"10.1016\/j.indcrop.2025.121338","article-title":"Colchicine-Induced Chromosome Doubling in Cinnamomum camphora and Its Effect on Morphological and Terpenoid Storage Structures","volume":"233","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ind. Crops Prod."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Singh, B., Yun, S., Gil, Y., and Park, M.-H. (2025). The Role of Colchicine in Plant Breeding. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 26.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26146743"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6597","DOI":"10.48048\/tis.2023.6597","article-title":"Effect of Colchicine on Morphological and Anatomical Traits of Gymnocalycium mihanovichii (Fri\u010d & G\u00fcrke) Britton & Rose","volume":"20","author":"Boonyawiwat","year":"2023","journal-title":"Trends Sci."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Boonnak, N., Siriamornpun, S., Yangkhamman, P., and Boontiang, K. (2026). Colchicine-Induced Polyploidy in Edible Cactus [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.]: Impact on Biological Traits and Bioactive Compound Accumulation. Horticulturae, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/horticulturae12081044"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bian, G., Yi, Y., Song, Z., Huang, Y., Mao, Q., Qin, J., and Shang, X. (2025). Colchicine-Induced Polyploidization Influences the Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Characteristics of Cyclocarya paliurus. Plants, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/plants14172778"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Andreu, L.G.I., P\u00e9rez, V.B., and Gonz\u00e1lez, A.F. (2026). Effect of Colchicine Application in Vitro on Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Asteraceae). Vegetos, 1\u20139.","DOI":"10.1007\/s42535-026-01621-x"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Boonarsa, P., Bunyatratchata, A., Chumroenphat, T., Thammapat, P., Chaikwang, T., Siripan, T., Li, H., and Siriamornpun, S. (2024). Nutritional Quality, Functional Properties, and Biological Characterization of Watermeal (Wolffia globosa). Horticulturae, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/horticulturae10111171"},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"8871301","article-title":"Folin-Ciocalteu Reaction Alternatives for Higher Polyphenol Quantitation in Colombian Passion Fruits","volume":"2021","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Food Sci."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e15331","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2023.e15331","article-title":"Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Some Wild Edible Plants Consumed in Southwest Ethiopia","volume":"9","author":"Yimer","year":"2023","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102874","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fochx.2025.102874","article-title":"Drying Conditions Affected Chemical Profiles and Health Promoting Properties of Castanopsis Piriformis Hickel & A. Camus","volume":"29","author":"Chumroenphat","year":"2025","journal-title":"Food Chem. X"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11111","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-018-1394-7","article-title":"Identification of Functional Groups of Opuntia ficus-indica Involved in Coagulation Process after Its Active Part Extraction","volume":"25","author":"Bouaouine","year":"2018","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"827","DOI":"10.1007\/s41207-023-00444-5","article-title":"Assessment of Calcium Oxalate in Nopal (Opuntia mesacantha) Powder by SEM\/EDX","volume":"9","author":"Ouhammou","year":"2024","journal-title":"Euro-Mediterr. J. Environ. Integr."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"W398","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkae253","article-title":"MetaboAnalyst 6.0: Towards a Unified Platform for Metabolomics Data Processing, Analysis and Interpretation","volume":"52","author":"Pang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nucleic Acids Res."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70255","DOI":"10.1002\/ece3.70255","article-title":"A Review of Plant Phenolics and Endozoochory","volume":"14","author":"Krebs","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1007\/s44372-024-00063-6","article-title":"Flavonoids in Plant-Environment Interactions and Stress Responses","volume":"1","author":"Patil","year":"2024","journal-title":"Discov. Plants"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1287","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph8051287","article-title":"Chemical Analysis of Nutritional Content of Prickly Pads (Opuntia ficus indica) at Varied Ages in an Organic Harvest","volume":"8","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8657","DOI":"10.1007\/s00253-019-10125-5","article-title":"Cacti for Production of Metabolites: Current State and Perspectives","volume":"103","year":"2019","journal-title":"Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol."},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"101651","article-title":"Biochemical Insights into Specialized Plant Metabolites: Advancing Cosmeceutical Applications for Skin Benefits","volume":"19","author":"Elbouzidi","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Res."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121991","DOI":"10.1016\/j.indcrop.2025.121991","article-title":"Comparative Analysis of Total Phenolic, Flavonoids and Antioxidant Profile in Methanolic Extracts of Colchicine Treated Foeniculum vulgare Mill","volume":"236","author":"Hariwal","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ind. Crops Prod."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112803","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phytochem.2021.112803","article-title":"Triterpenic and Phenolic Acids Production Changed in Salvia officinalis via In Vitro and In Vivo Polyploidization: A Consequence of Altered Genes Expression","volume":"189","author":"Tavan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phytochemistry"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1080\/07352689.2017.1402852","article-title":"Biosynthesis and Regulation of Phenylpropanoids in Plants","volume":"36","author":"Deng","year":"2017","journal-title":"Crit. Rev. Plant Sci."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sharma, A., Shahzad, B., Rehman, A., Bhardwaj, R., Landi, M., and Zheng, B. (2019). Response of Phenylpropanoid Pathway and the Role of Polyphenols in Plants under Abiotic Stress. Molecules, 24.","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules24132452"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Maiuolo, J., Nucera, S., Serra, M., Caminiti, R., Oppedisano, F., Macr\u00ec, R., Scarano, F., Ragusa, S., Muscoli, C., and Palma, E. (2024). Cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Possess Important Beneficial Properties Dependent on Their Different Stages of Maturity. Plants, 13.","DOI":"10.20944\/preprints202404.0458.v1"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sajb.2022.11.024","article-title":"Organ Specific Phytochemical Changes and Antioxidant Activities of In Vivo and In Vitro Grown Gloriosa superba L.","volume":"152","author":"Mondal","year":"2023","journal-title":"S. Afr. J. Bot."},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"155","article-title":"The Effect of Colchicine Treatment and In Vitro Polyploidy Induction on Quantity and Quality of the Phenolic Compounds of Catharanthus roseus (Linn.) G. Don","volume":"32","author":"Hedayati","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Plant Prod. Res."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mao, Y., Luo, J., and Cai, Z. (2025). Biosynthesis and Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Flavonoids: A Review. Plants, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/plants14121847"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jiang, X., Liu, K., Peng, H., Fang, J., Zhang, A., Han, Y., and Zhang, X. (2023). Comparative Network Analysis Reveals the Dynamics of Organic Acid Diversity during Fruit Ripening in Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch). BMC Plant Biol., 23.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12870-023-04037-w"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhang, X., Wei, X., Ali, M.M., Rizwan, H.M., Li, B., Li, H., Jia, K., Yang, X., Ma, S., and Li, S. (2021). Changes in the Content of Organic Acids and Expression Analysis of Citric Acid Accumulation-Related Genes during Fruit Development of Yellow (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) and Purple (Passiflora edulis f. edulis) Passion Fruits. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 22.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms22115765"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1002\/mnfr.200400071","article-title":"Cactus Stems (Opuntia spp.): A Review on Their Chemistry, Technology, and Uses","volume":"49","author":"Stintzing","year":"2005","journal-title":"Mol. Nutr. Food Res."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Batista-Silva, W., Nascimento, V.L., Medeiros, D.B., Nunes-Nesi, A., Ribeiro, D.M., Zs\u00f6g\u00f6n, A., and Ara\u00fajo, W.L. (2018). Modifications in Organic Acid Profiles During Fruit Development and Ripening: Correlation or Causation?. Front. Plant Sci., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2018.01689"},{"key":"ref_41","unstructured":"Meyers, R.A. (2000). Interpretation of Infrared Spectra, A Practical Approach. Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry, Wiley."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1016\/S0144-8617(00)00245-9","article-title":"Developments in Mid-Infrared FT-IR Spectroscopy of Selected Carbohydrates","volume":"44","author":"Wilson","year":"2001","journal-title":"Carbohydr. Polym."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7482","DOI":"10.1021\/acsomega.7b01270","article-title":"Influence of Acyl Chain Saturation on the Membrane-Binding Activity of a Short Antimicrobial Peptide","volume":"2","author":"Ciumac","year":"2017","journal-title":"ACS Omega"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7442","DOI":"10.1021\/jp4014674","article-title":"Spectroscopy of the C\u2013H Stretching Vibrational Band in Selected Organic Molecules","volume":"117","author":"Knaanie","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Phys. Chem. A"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gieroba, B., Kalisz, G., Krysa, M., Khalavka, M., and Przekora, A. (2023). Application of Vibrational Spectroscopic Techniques in the Study of the Natural Polysaccharides and Their Cross-Linking Process. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 24.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms24032630"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"901","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2018.05.090","article-title":"Use of Green Chemistry Methods in the Extraction of Dietary Fibers from Cactus Rackets (Opuntia ficus indica): Structural and Microstructural Studies","volume":"116","author":"Abdelmoumen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2089","DOI":"10.1007\/s00289-021-03619-8","article-title":"Effect of Alkali Treatment and Coupling Agent on Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Opuntia ficus-indica Cladodes Fibers Reinforced HDPE Composites","volume":"79","author":"Boussetta","year":"2022","journal-title":"Polym. Bull."}],"container-title":["Foods"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/15\/18\/3310\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T04:11:31Z","timestamp":1790050291000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/15\/18\/3310"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"references-count":47,"journal-issue":{"issue":"18","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["foods15183310"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/foods15183310","relation":{},"ISSN":["2304-8158"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2304-8158","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]}}}