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The red prickly pear fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill), endemic from Mexico’s semi-desert regions and present in North Africa and Southern Europe, particularly Italy and Spain, is a valuable source of nutrients, bioactive compounds, and polysaccharides. This study used non-destructive techniques like microscopy and Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy to characterize polysaccharides extracted from two red prickly pear varieties. The polysaccharides constitute approximately 80% of the peel and 39–18% of the pulp; microscopy provided insights into its microstructural details, while Raman and IR spectroscopy enabled the identification of its specific functional groups. The results revealed distinct microstructural attributes: mucilage displays a microstructure influenced by the ratio of acidic to neutral sugar monomers; pectin exhibits a low degree of methoxylation alongside a characteristic egg-box structure facilitated by calcium ions; hemicellulose presents a delicate, porous layer; and cellulose reveals a layered microstructure supported by thin or robust fibers and calcium crystals. The functional groups identified via Raman and IR spectroscopy provided specific information that could be used to infer chemical interactions influenced by functional groups like hydroxyl, carboxyl, and methyl, suggesting potential binding, stabilization, and water retention properties that enhance their utility as functional ingredients in food products. These findings, obtained using non-destructive methods, enhance the understanding of the compositional and microstructural characteristics of polysaccharides in the red prickly pear, which, in turn, can be used to predict their promising technological applications as functional ingredients.

BACKGROUND:Acute Toxoplasma infection (ATI) during pregnancy, if left untreated, can cause severe adverse outcomes for the fetus and newborn. Here, we undertook a meta-analysis to estimate the worldwide prevalence of ATI in pregnant women. METHODS:We searched international databases for studies published between January 1988 and November 2018. We included population-based cross-sectional and prospective cohort studies that reported the prevalence of ATI in pregnant women. Data were synthesized using a random effect model to calculate the overall prevalence of ATI (with a 95% CI) in six WHO regions and globally. We also performed linear meta-regression analyses to investigate associations of maternal, socio-demographic, geographical and climate parameters with the prevalence of ATI. RESULTS:In total, 217 studies comprising 902,228 pregnant women across 74 countries were included in the meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of ATI in pregnant women globally was 1.1% (95% CI: 0.9-1.2%). In studies where more strict criteria for ATI were used, the overall prevalence was 0.6% (95% CI: 0.4-0.7%). The prevalence was highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region (2.5%; 95%CI: 1.7-3.4%) and lowest in the European region (0.5%; 95% CI: 0.4-0.7%). A significantly higher prevalence of ATI was found in countries with lower income levels (P = 0.027), lower human development indices (P = 0.04), higher temperatures (P = 0.02) and lower latitudes (P = 0.005) and longitudes (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS:The risk of acquiring ATI during gestation is clinically important and preventive measures to avoid exposure of pregnant women to Toxoplasma infection should be strictly applied.