Variability in nutritional composition and phytochemical properties of red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) from Malaysia and Australia

The present work sought to investigate the nutritional composition and phytochemical properties of red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) juices from Malaysia and Australia and to determine the optimum ethanol concentration (in the range of 0-100% ethanol) for the extraction of phenolic, flavonoid and betacyanin contents. The predominant macronutrient in red pitaya juice was carbohydrate while potassium and vitamin A were the major mineral and vitamin content. Red pitaya juice from Malaysia achieved optimal total phenolic content at 20% of ethanol (20mL ethanol in 100mL water, v/v); total flavonoid content at 60% (v/v); and betacyanin content at 0% (v/v). Red pitaya juice from Australia achieved the maximum total phenolic content at 60% (v/v); total flavonoid content at 20% (v/v); and betacyanin content at 80% (v/v). Nutritional composition and the phytochemical properties of red pitaya in Malaysia and Australia were significantly different suggested the role of environmental factors like soil and climate on the phytochemical properties of red pitaya

Effects of red pitaya juice supplementation on cardiovascular and hepatic changes in high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome rats

Background: The fruit of Hylocereus polyrhizus, also known as red pitaya, and buah naga in Malay, is one of the tropical fruits of the cactus family, Cactaceae. Red pitaya has been shown to protect aorta from oxidative damage and improve lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic rats probably due to phytochemicals content including phenolics and flavonoids. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in cardiac stiffness, hepatic and renal function in high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-induced obese rats following supplementation of red pitaya juice. Methods: Total 48 male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: corn-starch group (CS), corn-starch + red pitaya juice group (CRP), high-carbohydrate, high fat group (HCHF) and high-carbohydrate, high fat + red pitaya juice (HRP). The intervention with 5% red pitaya juice was started for 8 weeks after 8 weeks initiation of the diet. Heart function was determined ex vivo with Langendorff hearts while plasma liver enzymes, uric acid and urea were measured using commercial kits. Total fat mass was determined with Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Glucose uptake was measured with Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Liver and cardiac structures were defined by histology. Results: Supplementation of red pitaya juice for 8 weeks increased energy intake and abdominal circumference but no change in body fat and lean mass respectively. Also, there were a trend of uric acid and glucose normalization for HRP as compared to H-fed rats. Red pitaya juice treatment reduced ALP and ALT but caused significant increment in AST. Diastolic stiffness of the heart was reduced after supplementation of red pitaya juice in corn starch fed rats. However, the reduction was not significant in HRP rats in comparison with H rats. Conclusion: The present study concluded that red pitaya juice may serve as a complimentary therapy for attenuating some signs of metabolic syndrome

Comparison of protein, total fat, and omega-3 fatty acids content in yellowtail catfish (Pangasius pangasius) and long tail shad (Hilsa (clupea) macrura) in raw and pressurized fish

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as promote brain development among infants and children. This study was carried out to compare total protein, fat and omega-3 fatty acids content of raw and pressurized fish of P. pangasius (yellowtail catfish) and H. macrura (long tail shad). The fish was cooked using pressure cooker for six minute to be pressurized. The protein content was determined by using Kjedahl method while total fat was determined using solvent extraction using chloroform and methanol. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were prepared by a direct transesterification method, and quantified by gas chromatography using external standard. Results showed that marine fish H. macrura (long tail shad) had higher content (p < 0.05) of protein (18.30 ± 0.040 g/100 g), fat (10.965 ± 1.610 g/100 g), EPA (11.83 ± 0.02 g/100 g) and DHA (5.96 ± 0.31 g/100 g) compared to freshwater fish P. pangasius (yellowtail catfish). The protein content of pressurized fish was higher compare to raw fish, but there was no difference in total fat and omega-3 fatty acids content between raw and pressurized of freshwater fish P. pangasius and marine fish, H. macrura. In conclusion, marine fish are better source of protein, fat and omega-3 content, while pressurized fish shown to have comparable amount of protein, fat and omega-3 fatty acids content with raw fish. The result obtained assist the consumers to prepare a healthy menu in order to retain the protein and omega-3 fatty acids content of fish through healthy way of cooking

Effects of different preservation treatments on nutritional profile on juices from different sugar cane varieties

The commercialisation of sugarcane juice is limited due to its rapid quality degradation. This study was conducted to determine the effect of High Pressure Processing (HPP) and High Pressure Homogenisation (HPH) on physicochemical, antioxidant properties and microbiological quality of red sugarcane juice. The red sugarcane juice samples, Kapur, Madu, Serai and Ragnar were subjected to HPP and HPH at 300 MPa for 2 and 5 min before the analysis was performed. Initial brix content, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and nutritional content of sugarcane juice values of showed that Madu juice contained the highest total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant properties (FRAP and DPPH radical scavenging assay) amongst all variants. HPP-treated juice showed no significant difference to the untreated juice in terms of physicochemical properties (total soluble solid, pH and colour), microbial count and polyphenoloxidase activity. In contrast, HPH showed significant decrease in microbial load and polyphenoloxidase activity. The sugar cane juice subjected to HPP and HPH for 5 min showed significant increase and significant decrease, respectively, in term of TPC as compared to untreated sample. In conclusion, HPP appears to be an effective approach to retain TSS, pH and colour of the red sugarcane juice, while increasing the antioxidant quantity which is desirable in the commercialisation of the juice. However, HPH is a better method to reduce PPO activity and microbial load, thus beneficial in reducing the browning process and potentially extending the shelf life

Antioxidant properties and toxicity assessment of the Crescentia cujete extracts in brine shrimp (Artemia salina)

Crescentia cujete has traditionally been used to treat various ailments. The present study attempted to determine the antioxidant activities of 100% ethanol, 50% ethanol and aqueous extracts of the leaves, bark and fruit of the herb. Additionally, the toxicity of the extracts was investigated in brine shrimp. The results showed that 100% ethanol leaf extract had the highest antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 261.97 ± 0.57 μg/mL according to the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Estimation of the total phenolic content (TPC) using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent showed that the leaves extracted with 100% ethanol had the highest concentration of TPC compared to the extracts prepared with other solvents of all parts of the plant. Analysis of the minerals using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) showed that the parts of the plant primarily consist of high levels of phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. Titration analysis of vitamin C showed that the highest concentration of the vitamin is present in the bark. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of vitamin E indicated that the content is the highest in the fruit, and the content of vitamin A was the highest in the leaves. Brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA) results showed that 50% ethanol extract of the leaves is the most toxic during a 24 h treatment. Thus, the leaves and bark exhibit excellent antioxidant effects and can be potentially developed as functional food ingredients. The findings of the present study suggest further research in cell lines and in vivo

Effect of oven and microwave drying on polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity of herbal tea from strobilanthes crispus leaves

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oven and microwave drying on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity of unfermented and fermented tea developed from Strobilanthes crispus leaves

Effect of gum Arabic concentrations on foam properties, drying kinetics and physicochemical properties of foam mat drying of cantaloupe

The effect of gum arabic (GA) concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 15%) on the foam properties, drying kinetic, and effective moisture diffusivity of foam mat drying of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) were analysed. Results showed that foam mat drying of cantaloupe puree with 10% GA has better foam density, foam expansion, and foam stability. The Page model fits the foam mat drying behavior of cantaloupe foam with different concentrations of GA at a constant temperature of 55 °C. The moisture content of foam mat dried cantaloupe powder was ranged from 3.29 to 4.64%. The powder flowability was significantly affected by the GA concentration. The powder produced at higher GA concentration showed good powder flowability and lower cohesiveness. Fresh cantaloupe fruit can be preserved into foam mat dried cantaloupe powder and used as a food ingredient in a variety of food products. Applications of foam mat dried cantaloupe powder in cake icing gave a natural colorant with antioxidants and no significant changes on flow behavior index of the icing viscosity

Optimisation of extrusion conditions for production of antioxidant-rich extruded breakfast cereals from purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas l.) and red rice using response surface methodology

Purple sweet potato powder (PSPP) is rich in anthocyanins and other polyphenols that provide excellent antioxidant and other biological activities with potential health benefits. In the present work, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimise the extrusion processing conditions to develop healthy breakfast cereals. The independent variables studied included barrel temperature, screw speed, and feed moisture. The linear terms of barrel temperature and feed moisture content were found to be the significant (p &amp;lt; 0.05) factors affecting the product&#039;s functional and physicochemical properties. The expansion property of extrudate significantly (p &amp;lt; 0.001) increased at low temperature, high screw speed, and low feed moisture. The recommended optimum extrusion conditions of barrel temperature, screw speed, and feed moisture content were at 157.0°C, 126.0 rpm, and 13.0%, respectively; and under these optimum conditions, significantly high retention (75.0%) of anthocyanin content was detected. Furthermore, scanning electron micrographs depicted that the optimised breakfast cereals had a better cell structure with smoother and thinner cell walls than the non-optimised samples

Applications of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruits as bioactive ingredients in functional foods

The demand for food bioactive ingredients from natural sources with low cost and broad range of applications is extremely increasing. In this study, five date varieties marketed in Malaysia were evaluated for their potential applications as functional food ingredients. The date fruits were extracted with 80% ethanol, and biological activities including antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-elastase activity were determined by referenced methods. Results of the study showed that the date variety Piyarom demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 11.3 µg/ mL), strong antibacterial activity towards tested pathogens that was ranged in 62-76 %, and strong anti-elastase activities (61.2±4.9%). The varieties Ajwa and Anbar showed moderate antioxidant and antibacterial activity, while Deglet Nour and Rabbi exhibited low activities. The results revealed high potential of Piyarom extract to be used as ingredient for functional food applications and fulfilled the high demand for natural functional food ingredients

Effect of preharvest treatment using jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of red-fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus L.)

This study investigated the effect of exogenous plant growth regulators (PGR), namely jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), on the physicochemical properties of flesh and peels of red-fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus). The fruit was sprayed with 100 and 1,000 ppm of JA and MeJA at 15 and 22 days of anthesis and harvested after 35 days. Then, the flesh and peels were analyzed for total soluble solids (TSS), total betacyanins, betanin, total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), and color characteristics. The fruit peels contained significantly higher (p<0.05) TP and antioxidant activities compared to flesh. No significant difference was detected between the variables in the peels, except for significantly higher (p<0.05) of total betacyanins (~295.6 and ~299.9 mg/100 g) and TP (~614.1 and 566.1 mg GAE/100 g) were recorded in control and 100 ppm MeJA, respectively. In the flesh, 1,000 ppm MeJA-treated fruit possessed the highest total betacyanins (~139.2 mg/100 g), betanin (~356.0 mg/g), TP (~244.9 mg GAE/100 g), TF (~329.0 mg CE/100 g), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) (63.2 µmol TE/g) and reducing power (~21.5 µmol TE/g). Overall, 1,000 ppm MeJA was more effective in enhancing the accumulation of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities in the flesh of red-fleshed dragon fruit compared to other PGR treatments