Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Opuntia spp. Extracts and Their Role in Enhancing Probiotic Enterococcus durans from Honeybee (Apis mellifera meda)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Prickly Pear Cactus extracts and their effects on stimulating the probiotic activity of Enterococcus durans isolated from the honey stomach of honeybees (Apis mellifera meda). After extraction of fresh fruit, the phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity were determined using Folin Ciocalteu reagent, colorimetric aluminum chloride, and DPPH assays. Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from the honey stomach using selective media, and their antimicrobial compounds were extracted. The antimicrobial activity of cactus extracts and crude bacteriocins against Gram-positive bacteria was evaluated by the well diffusion method. Finally, the effect of a mixture of cactus extracts and bacteriocins on the probiotic activity of the isolated bacteria was assessed. The average antioxidant activity was 38.6 ± 3.5 mg/ml. All extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against pathogenic organisms, with Enterococcus durans showing the highest activity; Bacillus cereus was the most sensitive bacterium. The responsible compounds in the cactus inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria and enhanced the activity of lactic acid bacteria to varying degrees.