ABSTRACT: In the present work the mineral content and volatile profile of prickly pear juice prepared from wild cultivars was investigated. Fruits used in the study originated from three areas of the Peloponnese Peninsula. Twenty-five macro- and micro-minerals (K, Na, P, Ca, Mg, Al, B, Ba, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Ti, Tl, V, Zn) were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Furthermore, analysis of the mineral content of soil samples with ICP-OES showed a perfect correlation with those of fruit juices. Volatile compounds (alcohols, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, terpenoids, and others) were identified using an optimized headspace solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) method. Multivar
