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Proximate Analysis of Dragon Fruit (Hylecereus polyhizus)

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  • Universitiy College MAIWP International

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Problem statement: Dragon fruit (Hylecereus polyhizus) is well known for the rich nutrient contents and it is commercially available worldwide for improving many health problems. Several studies show the proximity value of red pitaya fruits but the nutrient composition of the stem has not been extensively studied. Approach: This study was carried out to measure the proximate analysis of moisture content, water activity, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, glucose and ascorbic acids content in premature and mature of dragon fruit. The dried powder was produced from the stem of dragon fruit and the proximate analysis of dragon fruit stem was compared between freeze drying process and drying oven process. Results: Results of this study showed that 96% moisture; 0.270 g of protein; 0.552 g L1 glucose and 132.95 mg L1 ascorbic acid of dragon fruit stem found higher than the fruit flesh of the dragon fruit. Conclusion: The premature stem had higher values than the mature stem of the dragon fruit which may helpful in preventing the risk factors of certain diseases.
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American Journal of Applied Sciences 6 (7): 1341-1346, 2009
ISSN 1546-9239
© 2009 Science Publications
Corresponding Author: Ruzainah Ali Jaafar, Department of Bioengineering, Section of Biosystem and Bioprocess Engineering Technology,
University Kuala Lumpur-Malaysian, Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering Technology, Taboh Naning,
Alor Gajah, Melaka, Malaysia Tel: 06-5512022 Fax: 06-5512005
1341
Proximate Analysis of Dragon Fruit (Hylecereus polyhizus)
1
Ruzainah Ali Jaafar,
1
Ahmad Ridhwan Bin Abdul Rahman,
1
Nor Zaini Che Mahmod and
2
R.Vasudevan
1
Department of Bioengineering, Section of Biosystem and Bioprocess Engineering Technology,
University Kuala Lumpur-Malaysian, Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering Technology,
Taboh Naning, Alor Gajah, Melaka, Malaysia
2
Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Biomedical Science,
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract: Problem statement: Dragon fruit (Hylecereus polyhizus) is well known for the rich nutrient
contents and it is commercially available worldwide for improving many health problems. Several
studies show the proximity value of red pitaya fruits but the nutrient composition of the stem has not
been extensively studied. Approach: This study was carried out to measure the proximate analysis of
moisture content, water activity, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, glucose and ascorbic acids
content in premature and mature of dragon fruit. The dried powder was produced from the stem of
dragon fruit and the proximate analysis of dragon fruit stem was compared between freeze drying
process and drying oven process. Results: Results of this study showed that 96% moisture; 0.270 g of
protein; 0.552 g L
1
glucose and 132.95 mg L
1
ascorbic acid of dragon fruit stem found higher than
the fruit flesh of the dragon fruit. Conclusion: The premature stem had higher values than the mature
stem of the dragon fruit which may helpful in preventing the risk factors of certain diseases.
Key words: Red pitaya, proximate analysis, Malaysia
INTRODUCTION
Dragon fruit or red pitaya belongs to the Cactaceae
family from the subfamily Cactoidea of the tribe
Cactea
[1]
. In Malaysia, the red pitaya or dragon fruit is
commonly called as “buah naga”. Among the red pitaya
species Hylocereus polyrhizus (Red flesh) fruits are
edible and it has a great source of vitamin C and water
soluble fiber
[2]
. Hylocereus polyrhizus is a small fruit
climbing cactus that has received world-wide
recognition as an ornamental plant for its large, scented,
night-blooming flowers. The red skin fruit weighed up
to 1kg has translucent dark-red flesh considered as a
rich source of nutrients and minerals such as vitamin
B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3 and vitamin C, protein, fat,
carbohydrate, crude fiber, flavonoid, thiamin, niacin,
pyridoxine, kobalamin, glucose, phenolic, betacyanins,
polyphenol, carotene, phosphorus, iron and
phytoalbumin
[3]
. It is also rich in phytoalbumins which
are highly valued for their antioxidant properties
[4]
.
Hylocereus polyrhizus is rich in fibers, vitamin C,
minerals and phytoalbumins which are highly valued
for their antioxidant properties. The dragon fruit helps
the digestive process, prevent colon cancer and
diabetes, neutralize toxic substances such as heavy
metal, reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure
and consumed regularly the dragon fruit can help
against asthma and cough. It is also rich with
potassium, protein, fiber, sodium and calcium which
goods for health than other fruits
[5]
. There are three
techniques for foods drying are commonly used such as
sun drying, drying oven and freeze drying. First, the
drying process is heated high to force out the moisture
from food. Secondly, dry air to absorb the released
moisture and finally the air movement to carried out the
moisture away from the food. The freeze dried product
should be passing through all the three stages which are
freezing process, primary and secondary drying
process. Freeze-drying is a technique that results in
high-quality dehydrated products due to the absence of
liquid water and the low temperatures required in the
process. The solid state of water during freeze-drying
protects the primary structure and minimizes changes in
the shape of the product, with minimal reduction of
volume
[6]
. The drying process may alter these
properties, resulting in products with modified texture,
Am. J. Applied Sci., 6 (7): 1341-1346, 2009
1342
optical, thermal and nutritional properties
[7]
. The
rehydration ratio can be considered as a measure of the
injuries caused by the processing and drying to the
material. It is generally accepted that the rehydration
capacity is dependent on the degree of cellular and
structural disruption. According to Jayaraman et al.
[8]
,
during the drying process, irreversible cellular rupture
and dislocation, results in loss of integrity and hence, in
a dense structure of collapsed, greatly shrunken
capillaries with reduced hydrophilic properties, which
are reflected by the inability to imbibe sufficient water
to fully rehydrate. Proximate analysis used to determine
the proximate principles of any substance, as contrasted
with an ultimate analysis. The proximate analysis of
food refers to the analysis of the total content of a food
component, not taking account of the individual
compounds making up that food component. The macro
components are generally analyzed for their proximate
amounts
[9]
. The main objectives of this study was to
produce the dragon fruit stem in powder form using
freeze drying process and to measure the proximate
analysis parameter such as moisture content, water
activity, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash,
glucose and ascorbic acid between mature stem and
premature stem and also comparing the proximate
analysis of dragon fruit stem between freeze drying
method and drying oven method.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sample preparation: The dragon stem was cleaned
and drained off before used. Nearly 200 g of stem was
cut into small pieces using Warring blender (Warring
Commercial, Laboratory Blender) for 2 min and was
homogenized using homogenizer (Heidolph DIAX 900)
with ratio 1:3 w/v and filtered using Muslin Cloth. The
filtrate was transferred into freeze dryer bottle in and
kept at -18°C for four days or at -80°C for two days in
freezer before freeze-drying at -45°C, pressure
86×10
3
M bar for 4 days. Then the frozen sample was
freeze dried using freeze dryer (LABCONCO, Freeze
Dry System/ FREEZONE 4.5). The freeze dried sample
was kept into a tight container before further analysis.
Moisture, ash, fat, protein content, water activity and
fiber in the sample were determined using method by
AOAC International
[10]
.
Moisture content: The crucible was placed inside
drying oven for 105°C for 2 h. After that, the crucible
was placed in the desiccators for allowing cooling. The
beaker was weighed and 2 g of the powder was placed
in the beaker. The sample was drying in drying oven
(Memmert 600, Germany) for 3 h at temperature
105°C. Then the dried sample was weighed for percent
of dry weight and percent of moisture content in
sample.
Ash: The preparation of ash was same as preparing
crucible in moisture content. Two gram of sample was
put into crucible and weight was recorded and placed in
muffle oven (Furnace Nabertherm, Germany) at 550°C
for 8 h.
Fat: The fat content was determined directly extracting
the dried ground pitaya fruit with petroleum ether in an
intermittent Soxhlet extractor (Soxhlet Extractor
Darmstadt, Germany) and extracted the sample for 4 h.
The residue in round bottom flask after solvent removal
represents the fat content of the sample. The residue
was weight and checks the Reflective Index (RI) using
reflextrometer (Merck KGaA, 64271 Darmstadt,
Germany).
Crude protein: Nitrogen was determined using
micro-Kjeldahl method. About 2 g of dried sample was
transferred into digestion tube by adding 2 tablets of
catalyst and 20 mL of sulfuric acid to digestion in
30 min using Kjeldahl digester (Tecator Kjeltec
System, Germany) at minimum temperature 400°C.
After that, 50 mL distilled water was added for
distillation using Kjeldahl distillation. Then, the sample
was titrated with hydrochloric acid (0.20 N) to calculate
the amount of HCL present in NaOH solution (40%).
The boric acid solution (4%) was used for the catalyst
reagent. The percentages of nitrogen were converted to
protein by multiplying by 6.25.
Water activity: The powder was placed inside the
plastic placing sample. It was measured using A
w
sprint
(Swiss made NOVASINA TH-500) water activity
equipment.
Crude fiber: Two gram of sample was put into 250 mL
conical flask and 1.25% Sulfuric acid solution was
added. The sample was heated about 30 min and was
filtered using vacuum filter (today’s vacuum filtration
VF 100) and washed until traces of acid was undetected
using pH paper. The Whatman paper 5B which pore
size 125 micrometer was placed in the Buchner flask.
After that the acid extracted was transferred into 250 mL
conical flask and 1.25% NaOH solution was added. The
sample was heated again for 30 min and was filtered
using vacuum filter and washed with water until base
was undetected. The whole material was transferred
into crucible and dried for 12 h at 120°C. After that the
crucible was placed into muffle oven at 550°C for 12 h
and weight of crucible was recorded.
Am. J. Applied Sci., 6 (7): 1341-1346, 2009
1343
Ascorbic acid: Five gram of fresh pitaya stem was cut
and homogenized using warring blender. The sample
was filtrated using Muslin cloth. The filtrate will used
to determine the ascorbic acid content using
reflectometer (Merck KGaA, 64271 Darmstadt,
Germany).
Glucose concentration: The glucose concentration was
determined using 2 g of fresh pitaya stem. The sample
was cut into small particles and homogenized using
warring blender. Then, the sample was filtrated using
Muslin cloth and centrifuged with speed of 15000 rpm
for 15 min. The emulsion was analyzed using glucose
analyzer to measure the glucose concentration.
RESULTS
In this study, we determined the method of
production of Hylocereus polyrhizus stem powder using
freeze drying method and the proximate analysis
parameter was carried out using dried sample from
freeze dryer and drying oven. For proximate analysis,
we determined the moisture content, water activity, ash,
crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat determination,
glucose and ascorbic acid. All the analysis was done
through Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) in the
food analysis lab. Table 1 shows the comparison
between the operating system of freeze dyer and drying
oven. The data shows that drying oven was used at
50°C to dry the sample rather than freeze dryer system
was used at -45°C. About 184.02 g initial weight of
sample stem was homogenized using homogenizer with
water ratio 1:3 w/v and dried using freeze dyer at
temperature -45°C and vacuum pressure 89 × 10
3
M bar.
The final weight was 5.93 g and the weight of moisture
lost was 178.09 g due to high amount of water
contained in the pre mature stem.
Table 2 shows the proximity analysis in dragon
fruit stem. For freeze dried product, the percentage of
moisture content in mature stem was 96.04% and for pre-
mature stem was 97.62%. While, for drying oven
method, the percentages of mature stem was 96.11 and
96.42% for premature stem. Water activity analysis relies
on measuring the amount of moisture in the equilibrated
headspace above the sample, which correlates directly
with sample A
w
. A sample for water activity was placed
in a small closed chamber at constant temperature and a
relative humidity sensor was used to measure the
Equilibrium Relative Humidity surrounding the product
(ERH) of the sample atmosphere after equilibration. A
simple and accurate variation of this approach is the
chilled mirror technique in which the water vapor in the
headspace condenses on the surface of a mirror that was
cooled in a controlled manner. Water activity plays a
main role where it controls the microbial activity and it
keeps the key for the shelf life of the dragon fruit
product especially in stem. The higher moisture content
(high water activity, A
w
) will thus decrease the keeping
quality and the shelf life also shorter. The result shows
the water activities of the mature stem for freeze drying
and drying oven result was in range 0.545-0.563 A
w
.
While, for the pre-mature stem show that the result in
range 0.836-0.865 A
w
. There is a possibility for the
growth of halophilic organisms and xerophilic
organisms for minimum temperature at 25°C in the
stem of dragon fruit.
In this experiment, the percentage of nitrogen was
also calculated using the standard procedure of Kjeldahl
methods and the conversion factor was 6.25. The result
of this analysis showed that 7.18% of mature stem and
14.7% of premature stem using freeze drying product.
While, the percentage by without using freeze drying
product are 6.3% for mature stem and 11.9% for
premature stem. Nitrogen was the most distinguishing
element present in proteins. Figure 1 shows that
percentage of crude protein in premature stem was higher
than the mature stem because, the premature stem has
more nitrogen presented rather than mature stem.
To determine the crude fat, the Soxhlet method was
applied which involved a direct solvent extraction.
Table 1: Comparison of operating system of freeze dryer and drying
oven
Measurement Freeze dryer Drying oven
Temperature -45°C 50°C
Air condition vacuum, cold Fresh air inlet,
Pressure 86×10
3
M bar hot normal air
Equipment brand LABCONCO, Memmert 600,
Freeze dry system Germany
Duration time 4 days 1 day
Fig. 1: Comparison between mature stem and premature
stem using freeze drying and drying oven
Am. J. Applied Sci., 6 (7): 1341-1346, 2009
1344
Table 2: Moisture content analysis of Hylocereus polyrhizus
Freeze drying Drying oven
------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------
Sample Mature stem Premature stem Mature stem Premature stem
Moisture:
Weigh of aluminum dish (g) 54.800 55.160 53.980 54.960
Weigh of aluminum dish with sample before drying (g) 60.350 60.200 58.610 54.960
Weigh of aluminum dish with sample after drying (g) 55.020 55.280 54.160 55.150
Dry Metter (%) 3.960 2.380 3.890 3.580
Moisture content (%) 96.040 97.620 96.110 96.420
Water:
Water Activity (A
w
) 0.563 0.836 0.545 0.865
Temperature (T) 25.3°C 25.5°C 25.7°C 25.2°C
Time (t) 11 min 32 sec 5 min
41 sec 16 min 08 sec 5 min 52 sec
Crude protein
Amount of HCL required to titrate (mL) 10.000 18.600 9.000 15.000
Nitrogen (%) 1.480 2.350 1.010 1.900
Weight of protein (g) 0.144 0.294 0.126 0.238
Protein (%) 7.180 14.700 6.300 11.900
Crude fat:
Thimble + dry sample (g) 46.890 47.050 47.420 47.580
Weight of thimble after extraction (g) 46.800 46.880 47.310 47.350
Weight of fat (g) 0.090 0.170 0.110 0.230
Crude fat (%) 4.500 8.500 5.500 11.500
Reflective index (Brix%) 10.800 28.400 12.500 33.100
Crude fiber
Weight of crucible (g) 17.300 17.000 16.870 17.460
Weight of crucible + fiber (g): 17.350 17.030 16.910 17.480
Weight of fiber (g) 0.050 0.030 0.040 0.020
Crude fiber (%) 2.500 1.500 2.000 1.000
Ash:
Weight of crucible (g) 16.910 17.440 17.010 17.920
Weight of crucible + ash (g) 17.000 17.480 17.100 17.950
Total ash (g) 0.090 0.040 0.090 0.030
Total ash (%) 4.500 2.000 4.500 1.500
The free lipid content consists of neutral fats
(triglycerides) and free fatty acids was determined by
extracting the dried and ground material with light
petroleum or diethyl ether in a continuous extraction
apparatus such as a Soxhlet extractor. The result for the
fat weight in the mature stem and premature stem for
freeze drying method was 0.09 and 0.17 g with
reflective index 8.0 and 28.4% Brix. For without freeze
drying result, weight of the mature stem and premature
stem was 0.11 and 0.23 g with reflective index 12.5 and
33.1% Brix.
Table 2 shows the crude fiber analysis for mature
stem and premature stem in dragon fruit. The result
shows that the percentage of fiber was low in dragon
fruit stem compared to the dietary standard of dragon
fruit flesh. The crude fiber percentage of mature stem
and premature stem using freeze drying are 2.5 and
1.5% while 2.0 and 1.0% for using drying oven. The
standard of high-fiber in food was above 40% or above
0.75 g. The percentage of fiber in mature stem and
premature stem are 4.5 and 2.0% respectively using
freeze drying process and 4.5 and 1.5% respectively for
drying oven process. The result shows that there was a
small amount of minerals left out in the stem. It was
because the content of starches of the stem contains
fiber, phosphate and calcium. Crucible selection was
critical to accurate results but each type of crucible has
its limitations. While platinum crucibles are the best,
they are prohibitively expensive. In Table 2, majority of
premature stem have higher value than mature stem.
The higher parameters for premature stem are moisture
content, water activity, crude protein crude fat, glucose
concentration and ascorbic acid. The higher parameters
for mature stem are crude fiber and total ash because of
little fiber in premature stem of dragon fruit. But the
Dragon fruit stem gets more fiber while growing up
into a mature stem. Figure 1 shows that comparison
between mature stem and premature stem using freeze
drying process and drying oven process.
Basically, the result that has been taken from the
experiment cannot be determined as same as the
standard value of dragon fruit flesh. Half of nutrient in
stem has higher value and another half has lower value.
The higher values for proximate analysis parameter are
moisture content and ascorbic acid. The lower values
for proximate analysis parameter are crude protein,
Am. J. Applied Sci., 6 (7): 1341-1346, 2009
1345
Table 3: Comparison between stem and flesh of dragon fruit
Nutritional contents Flesh Stem
Moisture 82.5-83 g 96.0-98.0 g
Protein 0.159-0.229 g 0.120-0.270 g
Fat 0.21-0.61 g 0.09-0.23 g
Crude fiber 0.7-0.9 g 0.02-0.05 g
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) 8-9 mg 63.71-132.95 mg L
1
Ash - 0.03-0.09 g
Water activity (A
w
) - 0.545-0.865 A
w
Glucose - 0.263-0.552 g L
1
crude fat, crude fiber and analysis. The other parameter
such as glucose, ash and water activity cannot be
determined as a lower or higher because the reference
data cannot find. Table 3 shows comparison between
stem and flesh of dragon fruit. The result shows that a
small different value between freeze drying process and
drying oven process. In this experiment, there are some
different between freeze drying and drying oven. The
differentiation of this process has been shown in Table 3,
which was freeze drying process are used at -45
o
C and
vacuum pressure at 86×10
3
M bar. For drying oven
process, it was used at high temperature 50°C and
pressure at normal air. In this case, the value of ascorbic
acid has more affected to the others parameter because,
ascorbic acid has a biological role as a reducing agent
in hydroxylation reactions in the body, easily oxidized
by air and easily destroyed by during food processing
with high temperature. The results of this study were
similar to the study done by Khalili et al.
[5]
.
DISCUSSION
Pitaya is commercially cultivated in many parts of
Asia
[11]
and cultivation in Malaysia is more
concerned
[12]
. The pitaya fruit has medicinal value and
increases the excretion of heavy metal toxins and
lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. The peel of
dragon fruit has a high potential to be used as a natural
dye
[13]
. However, ingestion of significant amounts of
red-fleshed dragon fruit may result in
pseudohematuria
[14]
.
This research was carried out from the production
powder from dragon fruit stem using freeze drying
method and the proximate analysis parameters such as
moisture content, water activity, crude protein, crude
fat, crude fiber, ash, glucose and ascorbic acid was
measured using freeze drying product (powder) and
without using freeze drying product (dried with drying
oven). Freeze dried products at lower temperatures
extends their shelf life. The shelf life of a freeze dried
product can be predicted by measuring the rate of
degradation of the product at an elevated temperature.
The drying oven process is used at 50°C and can make
an effect of proximate analysis parameter such as
glucose and ascorbic acid. Based on the result of
sample preparation by production of powder, to ensure
the powder process was success, several parameters
must be controlled such as cooling chamber,
temperature and vacuum pressure. The temperature and
the vacuum pressure must be in low temperature to get
perfect powder. In the manifold method, flasks, impulse
or vials are individually attached to the ports of a
manifold or drying chamber. The product is either frozen
in a freezer, by direct submersion in a low temperature
bath, or by shell freezing, depending on the nature of the
product and the volume to be freeze dried. The pre-
frozen product was quickly attached to the drying
chamber or manifold to prevent warming. The vacuum
must be created in the product container quickly and the
operator relies on evaporative cooling to maintain the
low temperature of the product. This procedure can only
be used for relatively small volumes and products with
high eutectic and collapse temperatures.
CONCLUSION
A well rich nutrient content has the possibility to
prevent various diseases. This study provides that
premature stem of dragon fruit has more nutritional
value than the mature stem. This selection of nutrients
from the premature stem has an important nutritional
quality to improve the benefit for health and therapeutic
potential by targeting the compounds present in the
premature stem. Red pitaya could be considered as a
valuable economic product.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The researchers would like to extend their gratitude
to Prof. Dr. Abu Talib Bin Othman, Deputy Vice
Chancellor (student’s affairs and Technopreneur) of
University Kuala Lumpur (UKL) for sharing his
knowledge, excellent cooperation and support for the
research by providing the samples.
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Pitaya (Stenocereus spp.) is an exotic fruit, which has been consumed since ancient times by pre-Hispanic cultures. Recently in Mexico, this cactus has been the target of commercial attention due to the pleasant taste of their succulent fruits with juicy and sweet pulp, and a great variety of colors (white, yellow, purple and red fruits). This fruit has excellent sensory, nutritional, nutraceutical, agroindustrial and medicinal attributes; however, it has been under-utilized. The high content of betalains in this fruit allows us to consider these varieties as a source of natural pigments to be used in the food industry. The aim of this study is to show "the state of the art" of the properties of Stenocereus, to promote its study, dissemination, production, consumption and agroindustrial use. The present study shows a description of its botany, distribution, cultivation, physiology, pre and postharvest aspects, nutritional and nutraceutical composition, as well as agroindustrial and medicinal uses. The production of this fruit represents an opportunity for the economic development of some arid and semi-arid zones of Mexico due to the agronomic, nutraceutical and agroindustrial advantages. Therefore, more studies are required, mainly on physiological, nutraceutical, medicinal and agroindustrial aspects, more specifically on the non-studied species of Stenocereus, and future researches should deal with development of agro-technologies to guarantee high yields and good quality products to enable growers to make a living from it.
... Post-harvest losses in dragon fruit can be significant, often reaching 20-30% in developing countries. Implementing proper harvesting techniques and post-harvest handling practices can substantially reduce these losses and improve market value[32]. ...
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Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) has emerged as a globally significant fruit crop, valued for its distinctive appearance and nutritional profile. Native to Central America, this cactaceous vine has adapted to various tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The fruit's vibrant exterior houses a white or red pulp studded with numerous edible seeds. Cultivation techniques have evolved to optimize yield and quality, with vertical or horizontal support systems and specific nutrient management strategies being crucial for successful production. Dragon fruit propagation primarily relies on stem cuttings, which can bear fruit within 14-18 months under favorable conditions. The fruit's nutritional composition is noteworthy, containing high levels of antioxidants, vitamins (particularly vitamin C), minerals, and dietary fiber. These components contribute to its potential health benefits, including cholesterol reduction, improved digestion, and enhanced immune function. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated various biological activities of dragon fruit extracts, such as anti-hyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective, and anti-ulcer effects. These properties are attributed to bioactive compounds like betalains, phenolics, and flavonoids present in the fruit. Additionally, dragon fruit shows promise in managing chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity, potentially through its effects on blood glucose regulation and lipid metabolism
... Deccan Pink is 310.87 µg/100g. The attractive and exotic dragon fruit is also considered as a potential source of micronutrients as validated by researchers around the world and indicated by them that the nutritional values are highly variable (Wu and Chen, 1997;George et al., 2005;Khalil et al., 2006;Mahattantawee et al., 2006;Wu et al., 2006, Ariffin et al., 2009: Ruzainah et al., 2009Nurliyana et al., 2010;Nurul and Asmah, 2014;Ramli et al., 2014, Kirti Jalgaonkar et al., 2020Arivalagan et al., 2021). Dragon fruit is also considered as a medicinal plant, used in folk medicine in Asian countries, where traditional practitioners use herbal medicines to prevent and cure diseases (Tamanna Perween et al., 2018). ...
... There is a notable lack of research on the quality of Australian-grown dragon fruits, particularly regarding their shelf-life and antioxidant capacity. Despite the increasing commercial interest in dragon fruit cultivation in Australia, owing to its low maintenance and high nutritional value, the future remains uncertain for Australian growers [10]. The market's opening to imports (mainly Asian countries such as Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia) in 2017 has introduced substantial price competition, posing challenges for domestic growers who face higher cultivation, transportation, and operational costs, especially in remote areas [11]. ...
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Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.), renowned for its aesthetic appeal and rich antioxidant content, has gained global popularity due to its numerous health benefits. In Australia, despite growing commercial interest in cultivating dragon fruit, there is uncertainty for local growers stemming from competition with imported varieties. Notably, there is a lack of comparative research on the shelf-life, antioxidant activity, and phytochemical contents of Australian-grown versus imported dragon fruit, which is crucial for enhancing market competitiveness and consumer perception. This study compares the shelf-life, antioxidant activity, and phytochemical content of Australian-grown and imported dragon fruits under ambient conditions, addressing the competitive challenges faced by local growers. Freshly harvested white-flesh (Hylocereus undatus) and red-flesh (H. polyrhizus) dragon fruit were sourced from Queensland and the Northern Territory and imported fruit were sourced from an importer in Queensland. All fruit were assessed for key quality parameters including peel color, firmness, weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titratable acidity (TA), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), total betalain content (TBC), and total anthocyanin content (TAC). The results indicate that Australian-grown white dragon fruits exhibited average one day longer shelf-life with less color degradation, better firmness retention, and less decline in weight loss, TSS, and acidity compared to imported fruits. Australian-grown red dragon fruits showed similar shelf-life compared to fruits from overseas. Antioxidant activities and phytochemicals were consistently higher in Australian-grown fruits throughout their shelf-life. These findings indicate that Australian-grown dragon fruits offer better physical quality and retain more nutritional value, which could enhance their marketability.
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Pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) kırmızı rengi, dikkat çeken görünümü ve sağlık açısından yararları nedeniyle beğenilen ve besin açısından zengin bir meyve türüdür. Kalorisi düşük, C ve B vitamini, magnezyum ve kalsiyum gibi minerallerce zengindir. Ayrıca, serbest radikalleri temizlemeye ve oksidatif stresin insan vücudu üzerindeki zararlı etkilerini azaltmaya yardımcı olan fenolik bileşikler, flavonoidler ve betalainler gibi antioksidanlar içermektedir. İçerdiği yüksek fitokimyasallar ile diyabet, kanser ve kardiyovasküler gibi hastalıklara yakalanma riskini de azaltıcı etkisi olduğu bilinmektedir. Özellikle çekirdeklerinde bulunan Omega-3 ve Omega-6 yağ asitlerinin kalp sağlığında önemli ölçüde katkı sağlamaktadır. Sağlık açısından bu denli önemli bir meyve olan pitayanın, ülkemizde çok fazla tanınmıyor olması bu konuda yürütülen kısıtlı çalışmalardan kaynaklanmaktadır. Dolayısıyla bu derlemede, pitayanın yetiştiriciliği ve sağlık açısından önemi ortaya konulmuştur.
Thesis
Dragon fruit, a highly nutritious fruit, plays a significant role in the global agricultural market, where harvesting at the optimal maturity stage is crucial for ensuring high-quality yield. Traditionally, manual methods have been used for grading fruits based on visual characteristics, but these are time-consuming, inconsistent, and prone to errors. This study focuses on the development of an image processing model for determination of the maturity stage of dragon fruit, using deep learning techniques. The dataset consists of images of dragon fruits captured in the field at various maturity levels - immature, mature and overmature. These images were processed using MATLAB, where features related to color, particularly RGB and HSV values, were extracted and analyzed. The processed dataset underwent augmentation to increase its size, followed by the development of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for classifying the maturity stages of dragon fruit. The CNN model, trained over 30,000 images, achieved an accuracy of 97.80%, validating its robustness and efficiency in classifying fruit development stages. The model evaluation process confirmed its high accuracy (99.90%) and reliability. The trained model was successfully deployed for real-time maturity prediction of dragon fruit, showing that it could provide accurate results based on skin color features. The study highlights the potential of digital image processing and machine learning techniques in enhancing fruit maturity detection practices, particularly in the non-destructive and efficient harvesting and grading of fruits. Keywords :- Deep learning, Image Processing, MATLAB, CNN, Maturity, etc.
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Background: Crayons are drawing equipment made from colored wax, charcoal, chalk, or other materials used for writing and coloring. Crayons are used in schools throughout the world because crayons are easy to use, do not make dirty, blunt, non-toxic, and have many colors. Findings: Crayons can be used from children to adults. Wax crayons are usually used by children to draw and color. One popular crayon brand is Crayola. Dragon Fruit Skin (Hylocereus polyrhizus) contains anthocyanin which can be used as a natural coloring agent for decorative preparations and also has antioxidant activity. Methods: Dragon fruit skin (Hylocereus polyrhizus) extraction has been carried out by means of dragon fruit peel extracted using the wet maceration method with 70% ethanol. The extract was then made into 2 crayon formulations with concentrations of 25% and 20%, respectively. The crayon formulation consists of paraffin wax and dragon fruit peel extract. The resulting crayons have a brownish color, and aromatic odor typical of dragon fruit peel extract. Conclusion: The results of the topical test obtained the best formula on the formula with the composition of the dragon fruit peel extract 25% and 75% paraffin wax. Based on the results of the topical test, this crayon can be used. It's just that the color and texture of crayons that are easily brittle and oily make the results of this research experiment not as expected.
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Hylocereus species has generated a lot of interest as a source of natural red colour for food colouring, cosmetic industry and health potential for improving eyesight and preventing hypertension and combating anaemia. This study was conducted to determine the proximate composition, carbohydrate, crude fibres and minerals content in red pitaya fruits (Hylocereus sp.) which were obtained from organically grown plantation. Results showed that the red pitaya proximate composition were 87.30% moisture, 0.70 g ash, 0.16 g protein, 0.23 g fat, 10.10 g crude fibre and 1.48 g carbohydrate. The mineral content in red pitaya was calcium (5.70 mg), phosphorus (23.0 mg), magnesium (28.30 mg), sodium (50.15 mg), potassium (56.96 mg), iron (3.40 mg), zinc (13.87 mg) and copper (0.031 mg). The results showed that red pitaya fruits could have potential health benefits in preventing risk factors of certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, preventing hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, preventing anaemia and improving eyesight.
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Drying is an ancient process used to preserve foods. Conventional drying (hot air) offers dehydrated products that can have an extended life of a year. Unfortunately, the quality of a conventionally dried product is drastically reduced from that of the original foodstuff. Freeze-drying is based on the dehydration by sublimation of a frozen product. Due to the absence of liquid water and the low temperatures required for the process, most of deterioration and microbiological reactions are stopped which gives a final product of excellent quality.The comparison of both preservation processes, hot air and freeze-drying, was done taking into account several important characteristics such as shrinkage, glass transition temperature, process–quality interaction, drying kinetics, costs and new improvements. An updated bibliographic research served to compare both drying processes. Experimental data as well as theoretical results, from several years of research in the subject, were presented and compiled in order to support conclusions.
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Introduction. Still practically unknown in the mid-1990s in Europe, pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.) is now a full member of the 'small exotic fruits' category in shops. Nevertheless, these species are not very well known. The aims of our work were first to evaluate thoroughly the literature currently available on Hylocereus and secondly to supplement this review by agronomic works not yet published. Knowledge of Hylocereus. The study includes a presentation of the origin, botany, morphology and floral biology of the principal species cultivated within the Hylocereus genus and suggests a key for determination. Cultivation techniques. The agronomical practices used in Hylocereus orchards are broached: multiplication, cultivation practices (supports, density, pruning, mineral nutrition, irrigation, etc.), pollination and harvest. Pests and diseases are cited too. Physico-chemical composition of fruits. This work draws up a review of different studies regarding pitahaya composition, micronutrients and pigments. Post-harvest and processing. The life of the fruit after harvest (conservation and storage life) is approached as well as the various possibilities of processing. European market. The European market is analyzed for the various cultivated species of Hylocereus (imported quantity, market segment, origin of production, etc.) and its evolution prospects are evoked. Conclusion. Our review highlights the fact that the interest shown in these pitahayas is recent and, for these reasons, more detailed knowledge on these species is required (agronomic, genetic and technological).
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Providing a thorough introduction to the core areas of food science specified by the Institute of Food Technologists, Introduction to Food Chemistry focuses on principles rather than commodities and balances facts with explanations. The text covers the major areas of food science, including food chemistry, food analysis and methods for quality assurance, nutrition, diet and health, food microbiology, food material science, biochemical changes in fresh foods, food enzymology, and food processing. Within each chapter, more complex ideas appear near the end. This provides beginning students and those new to the food industry with a complete spectrum of information, while assisting advanced students with specialized papers and research articles. This multi-level text presents a wealth of information in a clear and accessible style. It serves as an ideal introduction or supplementary textbook for undergraduate and graduate students in food science courses.
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In Israel, scarcity of water, high input prices, and market competition limit the number of orchard crops that can be grown profitably. Our approach to the further development of the horticultural industry in the dry regions of Israel—the Negev and Judean deserts—is thus to establish new crops that will demand high prices in the export markets (Mizrahi and Nerd 1996). To this end, about 40 species of rare or wild fruit trees were introduced by us into these dry regions in a number of locations that differed in terms of soil, water, and climate (Nerd et al. 1990; Mizrahi and Nerd 1996). Emphasis was placed on candidates of the Cactaceae because of their high water-use efficiency (5–10 times higher than that of most conventional crops), resulting in low water requirement (Nobel 1988, 1994). The high water-use efficiency of cacti is provided by their unique photosynthetic pathway—crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). In CAM plants, the stomata open and CO 2 uptake takes place during the night when evaporation is low. Among the Cactaceae, there are about 35 species that have a potential for cultivation as fruit, vegetable, or forage crop species (Nobel 1994; Mizrahi et al. 1997). Starting in 1984, we have introduced, for investigation as potential crop species, 17 members of the subfamily Cactoidae (Nerd et al. 1990; Mizrahi and Nerd 1996). Among these, four climbing (epiphytic) species and one columnar species have already been planted as commercial crops, and their fruits are being exported successfully to European markets as exotic fruits from Israel. The main reasons that these crops have made their way onto the market within so short a time after introduction are their precocious early yield-ing (three to four years after seeding or one to three years after propagation from cuttings) and their accept-ability in the markets. At present, our studies are aimed at examining the environmental adaptations of the species and their reproductive biology mode and at developing appropriate agrotechnological practices. In addition, a breeding program accompanied by cytological and molecular studies is being carried out in order to develop improved clones for cultivation. This review is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the climbing cacti of the genera Selenicereus and Hylocereus and the other with the columnar cactus Cereus peruvianus. CLIMBING (EPIPHYTIC) CACTI Taxonomy We collected wild or cultivated types of climbing cacti from a variety of sources—amateur cactus lovers, growers, botanical gardens, and backyards. We very soon realized that there is tremendous confusion about the taxonomic identity of these cacti: accessions with the same name were found to be of different species. We are currently applying cytological and molecular techniques to determine the proper taxonomic identities of the species that we have introduced (Lichtenzveig 1997). These species belong to at least to two different genera, Selenicereus and Hylocereus. From the genus Selenicereus we will elaborate here only on one species S. megalanthus, currently grown in Israel and in Colombia, where it is known as yellow pitaya (Hunt 1989; Barthlott and Hunt 1993), Acces-sions of S. megalanthus were introduced by us as H. triangularis or H. undatus and were later classified as S. megalanthus (Weiss et al. 1995; Mizrahi et al. 1997). We have 37 selected clones from this species. From the genus Hylocereus, we have introduced the following species, some with a number of clones (Table 1): H. undatus, H. polyrhizus, H. purpusii, H. ocamponis, and H. costaricensis (Britton and Rose 1963; Barthlott and Hunt 1993). In addition, we have introduced some promising unidentified clones of Hylocereus (Hylocereus sp.), the best of which was designated as 10487. Of these species, only the ones that are currently being grown in Israel for export are described in this paper, as follows: H. undatus, H. polyrhizus, and Hylocereus Reprinted from: Perspectives on new crops and new uses. 1999. J. Janick (ed.), ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
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Dehydrated cauliflower was prepared by soaking the blanched pieces in solutions of different concentrations of common salt and sucrose (cane sugar), alone and in combination, prior to drying in a cabinet drier and evaluated for sensory, rehydration, storage, microbiological, histological and sorption characteristics. While sucrose alone produced considerable improvement, salt supplemented its effect. The optimum treatment was soaking in 3% salt and 6% sucrose for 12–16h at 4°C it markedly reduced shrinkage and improved rehydration without affecting palatability. It was necessary to boil the soak solution for 3 min and cool prior to soaking to reduce microbial contamination. The treatment increased ascorbic acid loss by 8%. Monolayer moisture content calculated from BET equation was 6.5% (moisture-free) basis for treated and 5.3% for untreated. The treatment increased the shelf-life of the product from 3 to 12 months at ambient temperature when packaged in paper-foil-polythene laminate.
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Summary We tested the hypothesis that an optimum method of drying fruit could be designed. The effect of the method used for drying on colour of apple, banana, potato and carrot was investigated for five different methods of drying: conventional, vacuum, microwave, freeze and osmotic drying. Colour characteristics were studied by measuring lightness (L), redness (a) and yellowness (b) using a Hunter Lab chromatometer. The method used to dry the material was found to significantly affect the three colour parameters. The changes in redness (a) and yellowness (b) were found to follow a first order kinetic model. Air-, vacuum- and microwave-dried materials caused extensive browning in the fruits and vegetables, this was manifested by a significant drop of the L parameter and an increase of the a and b parameters. Osmotically pretreated samples did not brown as much as the untreated samples and the value for lightness (L) decreased only slightly while a and b increased slightly. Freeze drying seems to prevent colour changes, resulting in products with improved colour characteristics.
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The peel of Hylocereus polyrhizus is often regarded as a waste hence this study was aimed at exploring the feasibility of using the peel as a natural colorant using simple water extraction method. Samples were subjected to a series of temperatures: Room temperature (RT), 50, 80 and 100 degrees C; varied length of heating time from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 min and a varied range of pH using 1 M of citric acid solution. The best condition to obtain highest betacyanin content was heating samples at 100 degrees C for 5 min in a pH 5 citric acid solution. The next part of this study involved the stability test of the pigments obtained through the best method determined earlier. The pigments were dried and resuspended in distilled water. The samples were then exposed to light to monitor pigment changes. Initial resuspension of the dried pigments yielded a comparable high content of betacyanins to its juice counterpart. The results showed that resuspended pigments had high pigment retention and were stable up to 7 days. These initial findings must be further studied in more controlled conditions to understand the stability of betacyanin. Nevertheless, the results show that betacyanin obtained from the peel of dragon fruit has a high potential to be used as a natural dye.