Storage post‐harvest of <scp><i>Opuntia ficus‐indica</i></scp> and its impact on the efficiency of bio‐coagulants/flocculants extracted

Abstract

Abstract The use of natural plant‐based bio‐coagulants/flocculants is gaining prominence in wastewater treatment. This study investigated the efficacy of liquids extracted from cladodes of Opuntia ficus‐indica ( Cactaceae ) stored under different conditions for a defined period. The aim was to assess the correlation between storage conditions and the performance of extracted bio‐coagulants/flocculants in treating synthetic kaolin‐rich water. The results underscore the critical role of post‐harvest storage in preserving the functional efficacy of these bio‐products. Cladodes were stored for 161 days in three environments: a closed anaerobic zone, open air and a refrigerator at 4° C. Cladodes in the closed anaerobic zone fully degraded before the 161st day. Conversely, those stored in open air exhibited the highest resistance to microbial degradation, followed by those kept in the refrigerator. Juices extracted from these cladodes were evaluated for their coagulation‐flocculation and decantation performance. Cladodes stored in the open air, without and with protection from climatic agents, achieved turbidity reductions of 87.3% and 80.7%, respectively. The optimal dose was 1.3 ml of juice per gram of kaolin, while sedimentation rates reached 3 cm/min and 2.5 cm/min, respectively, with a dose of 0.1 ml of juice per gram of kaolin. Refrigerated cladodes reduced turbidity by 33.6% at a dose of 7.8 ml of juice per gram of kaolin, with an average sedimentation rate of 1 cm/min for a dose of 0.1 ml of juice per gram of kaolin. These findings reveal a significant relationship between post‐harvest storage conditions and the efficacy of extracted bio‐coagulants/flocculants, emphasizing the importance of optimizing storage for enhanced wastewater treatment applications.

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