title: Physical, chemical, and antioxidant activity characterization of pitaya (Stenocereus pruinosus) fruits.
abstract: Fruits with red and orange flesh of the columnar cactus pitaya (Stenocereus pruinosus) were studied to evaluate physical characteristics, total soluble solids, betalains and soluble phenols content, and antioxidant activity. Fruits had, in average, weight of 179.0 g, 9.8 °Brix, 9.4 % carbohydrates, 1.25 % protein, 0.11 % ethereal extract, 0.60 % crude fiber, and 0.62 % ash. Also, fruits resulted rich in Fe (22.8-27.8 mg/kg). Hue angle and contents of betacyanins, betaxanthins (μg/g dry sample), and total soluble phenols (mg GAE/g fresh sample) were 19.8°, 2860.0, 3210.0, and 1.6 in the red material, and 28.9°, 470.0, 2670.0, and 1.2, respectively, in the orange fruit. The antioxidant capacity was higher in the red material, since the ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) technique reported 1090.6 and 735.4 μmol of Trolox equivalents/g fresh flesh in red and orange fruits, respectively, while the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay reported 7.84 and 5.16 μmol of Trolox equivalents/g fresh flesh, respectively. The chromatographic profile showed five betalains in red fruits, but only four of them were observed in those orange fleshed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería Agroindustrial, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Carretera México-Texcoco, km 38.5, Chapingo, 56230, Mexico, Mexico.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Cruz
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valle-Guadarrama
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Salinas-Moreno
authors.forename: Elvia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Joaquín-Cruz
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D050859:Betacyanins / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D050858:Betalains / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050860:Betaxanthins / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D029421:Cactaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000032:analysis; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D050859:Betacyanins; D050860:Betaxanthins; D002241:Carbohydrates; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010940:Plant Proteins; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C002502:2,2'-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid; D050858:Betalains; D007501:Iron