Seasonal variability of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in prickly pear cladodes of Opuntia and Nopalea genres
The Opuntia spp. and Nopalea spp. are grown in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil, as basic food support of ruminants, especially in the dry season. It is estimated that the area of species Opuntia ficus indica and Nopalea cochenillifera cultivated in Brazil is 600.000 ha. This region is characterized by having a high index of annual evaporation, approximately 2,000 mm, and an average of 750 mm rainfall, concentrated in a period of three to five months (Araújo et al., 2005).