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Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Capacity and Mineral Profile of Pulp and Peel from Diverse Selenicereus (Pitaya)

Rogerio Lopes Vieites¹, Andres Felipe Gaona Acevedo²

¹Department of Horticulture, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil.

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

|July 29, 2026

Abstract:

Pitaya (dragon fruit) has gained increasing commercial interest due to its nutritional value and bioactive potential. This study characterized seven pitaya varieties ('Costa Rica', 'Nicarágua', 'Purple Haze', 'Physical Graffiti', 'Imperial', 'Connie Mayer', and 'Golden de Israel') regarding physicochemical attributes of the pulp and biochemical and mineral composition of peel and pulp tissues. Physicochemical parameters, color attributes, betalains, flavonoids, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP), and mineral nutrients were evaluated, followed by principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses. Red-fleshed varieties ('Costa Rica' and 'Nicarágua') exhibited higher betalain contents, whereas purple-fleshed varieties ('Purple Haze' and 'Physical Graffiti') showed greater phenolic and flavonoid concentrations and higher antioxidant activity. Both peel and pulp showed favorable mineral profiles, particularly for potassium and iron. 'Physical Graffiti' presented the highest mineral macronutrient levels, while 'Connie Mayer' exhibited the highest micronutrient contents. These results highlight the nutritional and functional potential of pitaya fruits and their by-products for food applications.

Keywords:

Betalains Functional foods Nutritional composition Phenolic compounds Pitaya varieties

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