The genus Opuntia: main uses, lines of research and perspectives

The nopal (Opuntia spp.) is an emblematic and promising crop in México due to their intrinsics characteristics. The nopal belongs to the cactaceae family and the Opuntioideae genus, of which around 180 species have been reported and approximately 80 of them are present in México. Nopales have been cultivated since the first Mesoamerican civilizations for at least 14,000 years for the purposes of human food, livestock, and to produce pigment obtained from cochineal, which is an insect that parasitizes these crops. The fruit of the nopal is recognized as “tuna” in México or “prickly pear” in the rest of the world. In México, different species or genotypes of Opuntia are cultivated, mainly to obtain fruits or tender cladodes that are consumed as vegetables (nopalitos) and for livestock feeding, among other multiple uses such as biopolymers, biogas, dyes, cosmetics, natural medicine, etc. In the last decade, important research has been carried out on the genus in order to better understand its biology, physiology and genetics. This review addressed relevant aspects of the uses and research performed on Opuntia, as well as promising perspectives.