Pereskia aculeata (Local gooseberry) : medicinal properties in alcoholic extraction

Pereskia aculeata (Local gooseberry, Gwozèy-babad, Barbados gooseberry, Gwozèy-péyi, Groseille du pays, Groseille de Barbade) — family Cactacées.

Scientific synonyms : Cactus lucidus Salisb., C pereskia L. Pereskia foetens Speg. in Weingart, P fragrans Lem., P godseffiana hort. P longispina Haw, P rubescens Houghton, P undulata Lem..

This database documents alcoholic (ethanol) extractions of active substances. Our monograph currently lists 6 indications in alcoholic extraction for this species. The Lapo v2 catalogue records 128 scientific references for this species (full detail in the application).

Important — scientific references on this public page: only a short excerpt of each cited source is shown (selected abstract sentences), kept in the original language of the publication (most often English), without translation. These excerpts are not the full article text and are not a complete bibliography. The full reference records and complete monographic detail are available in the Lapo v2 application (free 30-day trial).

1. 1

   Cancer: adjuvant treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia, colorectal adenocarcinoma, alveolar basal cell carcinoma and breast cancer

   Plant part used: Fruit.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Massocatto ALM (2021)

     Excerpt All extracts exhibited selective antiproliferative activity against human chronic myeloid leukemia cell lines (K562). The cytotoxic activity was assessed by an Artemia salina lethality test & the antiproliferative properties against seven human carcinoma cell lines.

   • According to SOUZA L (2016)

     Excerpt The aims of this work were to study the chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Pereskia aculeata & to evaluate some biological activities of three leaf extracts. The possible cytotoxicity of extracts on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cancer cell line & the influence on adenylate cyclase (ADCY) expression was also studied.

   • According to PINTO (2012)

     Excerpt Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae) is a climbing cactus native to South America & naturally distributed from south to northeast of Brazil, where the leaves are very appreciated as a vegetable in traditional cuisine. Some other species of Pereskia genus are reported to be used as natural remedies against cancer & other diseases.

   • According to Souza L.F (2016)

     Excerpt The aims of this work were to study the chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Pereskia aculeata & to evaluate some biological activities of three leaf extracts. The possible cytotoxicity of extracts on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cancer cell line and the influence on adenylate cyclase (ADCY) expression was also studied.

   • According to Porto FGS (2022)

     Excerpt Pereskia aculeata Mill., known as Ora-Pro-Nobis or Barbados gooseberry, arouse the interest of food & pharmaceutical industries due to its bioactive compounds & mucilage. Reports on anti-inflammatory & anticancer properties of PA leaves open a research field to obtain pharmaceutical products.

2. 2

   Bacterial infection: Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Morganella morganii, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa

   Plant part used: Sheet.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Wolupeck LS (2025)

     Excerpt Pereskia aculeata Miller (OPN) has garnered scientific attention due to its high protein content & bioactive properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, & anti-inflammatory.

   • According to Garcia JAA (2019)

     Excerpt Pereskia aculeata Miller, known worldwide as ora-pro-nobis, is a highly nutritive species of the Cactaceae family from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The antimicrobial activity exhibited by the extract against both Gram-positive & Gram-negative bacteria suggests the presence of a broad spectrum of phytochemicals with antibiotic activity.

   • According to Nogueira Silva NF (2023)

     Excerpt Pereskia aculeata Miller is native to the Neotropical region, where it is traditionally employed as food in rural communities, being popularly known as ‘ora-pro-nobis’ (OPN) or the Barbados gooseberry. Pereskia aculeata Miller is an edible plant species belonging to the Cactaceae family.

   • According to De Vicente NFP (2020)

     Excerpt Todos os extratos apresentaram atividade inibitória contra Staphylococcus aureus e Pseudomonas aeruginosa, sendo os extratos aquosos obtidos por refluxo e sonicação os que apresentaram maiores halos de inibição. Neste estudo, quatro tipos diferentes de extratos (aquosos e hidroalcoólicos obtidos por refluxo e sonicação) de ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia grandifolia Haw) foram investigados quanto à presença de compostos fenólicos, antioxidantes e antibacterianos.

   • According to Pimenta. PC (2020)

     Excerpt this work analyzed the antimicrobial capacity of the Pereskia aculeata using Essential Oil (EO), popularly known as ‘Ora-pro-nobis’, against microorganisms found in health professionals coats at a Virginia hospital (Minas Gerais).

3. 3

   Oxidative stress

   Plant part used: Sheet.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Cruz TM (2024)

     Excerpt Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata) is a Cactaceae plant with edible leaves & fruits whose extracts are consumed to promote health, albeit bioactive compounds' bioaccessibility was still not assessed. Ultimately, digestion partially degraded the samples' bioactive compounds, diminishing their cellular protection against oxidative stress.

   • According to CRUZ MT (2024)

     Excerpt (Pereskia aculeata) is a Cactaceae plant with edible leaves and fruits whose extracts are consumed to promote health, albeit bioactive compounds' Bioaccessibility was still not assessed. Ultimately, digestion partially degraded the samples' bioactive compounds, diminishing their cellular protection against oxidative stress.

   • According to Pinto NCC (2012)

     Excerpt Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae) is a climbing cactus native to South America & naturally distributed from south to northeast of Brazil, where the leaves are very appreciated as a vegetable in traditional cuisine. The results showed that some fractions inhibited MCF-7 & HL60 cell proliferation, & that the most of antioxidant compounds found in PA leaves are phenol compounds.

   • According to PINTO (2012)

     Excerpt Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae) is a climbing cactus native to South America & naturally distributed from south to northeast of Brazil, where the leaves are very appreciated as a vegetable in traditional cuisine. The results showed that some fractions inhibited MCF-7 & HL60 cell proliferation, & that the most of antioxidant compounds found in PA leaves are phenol compounds.

   • According to Wolupeck LS (2025)

     Excerpt Pereskia aculeata Miller (OPN) has garnered scientific attention due to its high protein content & bioactive properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, & anti-inflammatory. This systematic review assesses OPN’s antioxidant capacity using methods such as DPPH (free radical scavenging assay 2,2-diphenyl 1-picrylhydrazyl), FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), & ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), while comparing DPPH results with total phenolic content (TPC) at different solvent concentrations.

Further indications (including other extraction modes where applicable), dosages, precautions for use, and the <strong>full scientific references</strong> (complete records, not only the short excerpts above) are available in the complete monographic record in the Lapo v2 application.