Dragon fruit: A review on nutritional value and health profits

Introduction

In the Worldwide, the production share of different species red skin with white flesh, red skin with purple flesh, red skin with red flesh, and yellow skin with white flesh are around 94%, 4.0%, 1.5%, and 0.5%, respectively . Top producer countries of dragon fruit are Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Thailand, India, USA, and Cambodia.

Dragon fruit (Pitaya) production in India

Dragon fruit was introduced during the late 1990s in India, (Arivalgan et al., 2021) [2] . Subsequently, area under dragon fruit cultivation was steadily enlarged from 4 to 400 ha in different states during 2005-2017. Primarily, dragon fruit cultivation was started by the farmers of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar states. Now, its cultivation has expanded too many states i.e. Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and North Eastern States. According to recent estimates, India's dragon fruit production enlarged considerably to more than 12, 000 tons over an area of 3, 000-4, 000 ha in 2020 (Wakchaure et al., 2021) [30] .

Nutritional Values of Dragon fruit (Pitaya)

Dragon fruit is rich in essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants but also low in calories. 100-gram of Dragon fruit contains about 50-60 calories, an excellent option for weight management (Mande et al., 2023) [16] . It promotes healthy digestive system due to high in dietary fiber and maintains stable blood sugar levels. Pitaya boosts the immune system and enhances skin health because it is a good source of vitamin C and also acts as an antioxidant due to vitamin E (Monteiro et al., 2023) [18] . The dragon fruit also provides essential minerals like magnesium, which is vital for muscle and nerve function, iron, which supports red blood cell production and calcium, for bone health (Sarkar et al., 2023) [26] . Furthermore, dragon fruit is rich in antioxidants, such as betacyanins and flavonoids, which reduce inflammation and help to combat oxidative stress. (Mahayothee et al., 2019) [14] . Nutritive value per 100 g of dragon fruit pulp is as under (Table 1). [4] Source: Sinha et al. (2018) [28] .

Source: Khalili et al. (2006) [11] .

Health profits of dragon fruit (Pitaya) Antioxidant efficacy

It is rich in antioxidants, which play a vital role in protecting the body from reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. The primary antioxidants betacyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and vitamins C and E found in dragon fruit (Al-Mekhlafi et al., 2021) [1] . Betacyanins, have been shown to reduce oxidative damage and possess anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties which responsible for the fruit's vibrant red color, (Choo et al., 2018) [3] . Flavonoids contribute to reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and heart health by improving blood circulation. Free radicals, which can damage cells and lead to chronic diseases such as cancer neutralize through Phenolic acids (Rahman et al., 2021) [24] .

Anti-diabetic intent

Primarily, it exhibits anti-diabetic properties due to its high fiber content and bioactive compounds i.e. betacyanins and flavonoids. it helps sluggish the absorption of sugars, leading to better glycemic control and reduced blood sugar spikes after meals (Tarte et al., 2023) [29] . Furthermore, pitaya's low glycemic index ensures gradual glucose release into the bloodstream. Studies advise that its bioactive compounds may improve insulin sensitivity, promoting better glucose utilization in cells (Erika et al., 2024) [7] . The antioxidants present in dragon fruit, protect pancreatic βcells from oxidative stress, preserving their role in insulin production (Malik et al., 2023) [15] .

Anti-microbial properties

Dragon fruit has antimicrobial properties due to its bioactive compounds flavonoids, phenolic acids, and betacyanins etc. They have ability to inhibit the growth of various pathogenic bacteria and fungi (Hendra et al., 2019) [8] .

Studies have revealed that pitaya extracts are potent against bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as somewhat fungal species (Lim et al., 2023) [13] . Dragon fruit a potential natural alternative to promoting its use in food preservation and therapeutic applications for combating infections.

Anti-cancer properties

Dragon fruit shows anticancer activity due to its rich content of antioxidants like betacyanins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. phenolic acids and Flavonoids giving contribution by reducing inflammation, a feature closely associated with tumor development (Saenjum et al., 2021) [25] .

Investigations have shown that dragon fruit extracts can reduce the growth of various cancer cells, for instance breast and colon cancer cells (Padmavathy et al., 2021) [22] .

Anti-anemia actions

Dragon fruit's anti-anemia characters are primarily due to its iron availability, which maintains red blood cell production and enhances hemoglobin synthesis and it is crucial for oxygen transport in the body (Khuzaimah et al., 2023) [12] . Dragon fruit helps to combat iron deficiency which reduces the risk of anemia (Damayanti et al., 2023) [6] . Studies point out that regular intake of pitaya can improve hemoglobin levels and lessen symptoms such as fatigue and weakness associated with anemia, making it a valuable dietary addition (Mulyani and Sari, 2020) [19] .

Hepato-protective actions

Due to its rich antioxidant content including betacyanins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, Dragon fruit exhibits hepatoprotective activity. It helps to neutralize free radicals, reducing oxidative stress in liver cells which is a key factor in liver damage (Jayaseelan et al., 2023) [10] . Betacyanins, protect against lipid peroxidation in liver tissues and preventing cell injury (Huang et al., 2021) [9] .

Anti-hyperlipidemic properties

Due to its antioxidants, fiber and bioactive compounds like flavonoids and betacyanins, Pitaya exhibits antihyperlipidemic properties. The high fiber content facilitates to reduce cholesterol absorption in the gut, minimizing total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels (Prajapati et al., 2022) [23] . Investigations have shown that consumption of dragon fruit can improve lipid profiles, lowering triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein levels while increasing high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol), (Setiawan et al., 2018) [27] .

Conclusion

Due to rich in essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants drag¬on fruit become more valuable fruit. Their Nutritional and health benefit brings numerous advantages to promote human health i.e. improve digestive system, boosts immunity and helps to manage weight. Dragon fruit is emerging as a super fruit with two dimensional nutritional and medicinal properties which has long life health advantages and disease prevention ability. Due to presence of betalains, flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenoids and steroids, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, and carotenoids dragon fruit can be effective and sustainable alternatives to synthetic drugs for the prevention and treatment of many diseases such as diabetes, obesity cancer and pathogenic agents. Further studies are yet needed to understand the it's more health benefits.

References

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