The Cactaceae family is native from the American continent but is distributed in the arid and semiarid regions worldwide. Cacti exhibit different morphological (succulent body, extended root system, presence of spines, thick waterproof epidermis) and physiological adaptations (crassulacean acid metabolism) that allow growth in adverse conditions intolerable for most C3 and C4 crops. In addition, these plants produce a wide range of secondary metabolites involved in defense mechanism against biotic and abiotic stresses. The present review focused on the content of alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and terpenes present in cacti plants. Data were limited to those compounds clearly characterized by chromatographic and/or spectrometric techniques in both globular and columnar cacti. Additional information about their pharmacological or biological activities, validated by in vitro or in vivo assays, is also presented. Data revealed that the level of some chemical constituents could give value added to these species from a nutritional, pharmacological, and biological point of view.
Keywords: Alkaloids; Cacti; Phenolics; Secondary metabolites; Terpenes.