Pescidic acid is a component of AquaCacteen elixir from organic cactus. AquaCacteen blocks the release of stress markers from sensory nerve cells in the skin and calms irritated skin. Pescidic acid as a part of this elixir acts as an iron chelator, which binds free Fe2+/Fe3+ ions. In skin tissue, Fe2+ is normally bound to ferritin, but UV can decompose this complex leading to the liberation of Fe ions. These ions initiate the formation of OH radicals, thus pescidic acid prevents the formation of ROS by complexing Fe2+. Recent studies showed that the ability of a piscidic acid to inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme participated in the biosynthesis of cholesterol, could be useful in the development of new functional foods and pharmaceutical products.