Antioxidant Potency of Red Dragon Trait Flesh and Peel Prepared by Different Methods

Red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus, (F.A.C. Weber) Britton & Rose) is widely consumed all over the world nowadays. The peel and flesh of red dragon fruit contain many bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity. The preparation process is critical to maximizing the yield of the antioxidant content. Objective The objectives of this research were to evaluate total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), as well as the antioxidant activity of peel and flesh of red dragon fruit prepared by various methods. Methods The fresh and dried samples of peel and flesh of red dragon fruit were prepared via maceration and non-maceration process. Ethanol (96%) was used as the solvent in maceration. In the non-maceration process, the samples were ground using a blender and pressed using a juicer. TPC was analyzed by Folin-Ciocalteau methods, while TFC was determined by spectrophotometry UV-Vis with AlCl3. Antioxidant activity was analyzed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene bleaching (BCB) tests. Results Preparation methods affect the antioxidant activity of red dragon fruit peel and flesh. The highest TPC and antioxidant activity (BCB test) can be found in the ethanolic extract of the blended peel. Both the ethanolic extracts, blended peel and blended flesh, had the same DPPH radical scavenging activity. The highest TFC can be found in the ethanolic extract of dried-peel.