Ethnomedicinal Cactus Pear Fruit (An Underutilized Super Food): Exploring Composition and Its Diverse Applications in Food Products

ABSTRACT Cactus pear popularly known as prickly pear, Findla, Nagphani or Hathlo thor in the local languages of India, possess many medicinal values. Traditionally this fruit has been utilized as therapeutic agent across various parts of the world to treat conditions such as asthma, anemia, wound infections, intestinal inflammation, and diabetes. It is valuable fruit because it contains important phytochemicals that promote human health. The nutritional profiling of the fruit extract revealed the presence of polyphenols, pigments, flavonoids, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, fibers and water content, all of which offer potential health benefits. Therefore, considering the cactus pear fruit's nutritional quality, medicinal values and potential for its application in diverse food products development, this review highlights the composition of cactus pear fruit, medicinal properties and utilizations in the production of a wide range of food items, including juices, beverages, jams, jellies, sirups, concentrates, natural colorants, functional dairy‐based products, and fermented foods.