Abstract: Prickly pear has a variety of biological effects such as strengthening the body’s immunity, delaying aging, treating scurvy etc., among which prickly pear polysaccharide is one of its main functional components. In order to better develop and utilize prickly pear polysaccharides, summarize the research progress of the extraction method, separation and purification and biological activity of prickly pear polysaccharides in recent years. The in-depth development and utilization of polysaccharide resources provide a theoretical basis, and can also provide a reference for further research on prickly pear polysaccharides.