Molecules, Vol. 28, Pages 786: Mucilage from Yellow Pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) Fruit Peel: Extraction, Proximal Analysis, and Molecular Characterization

Molecules, Vol. 28, Pages 786: Mucilage from Yellow Pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) Fruit Peel: Extraction, Proximal Analysis, and Molecular Characterization Molecules doi: 10.3390/molecules28020786 Authors: María Carolina Otálora Andrea Wilches-Torres Jovanny A. Gómez Castaño Mucilage is a hydrophilic biopolymeric material of interest in the food industry due to its high content of dietary fiber, antioxidant activity, and gelling and thickening capacities, which is present in high concentration in agricultural by-products, such as the peel of cacti fruits. In this work, the powdered mucilage extracted from the peel of yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) fruit was characterized using a multi-technical approach that included proximal analysis (proteins, lipids, crude fiber, ash, and carbohydrates), as well as structural (FTIR, NMR, UPLC-QTOF-MS, and X-ray diffraction), colorimetric (CIELab parameters), morphological (SEM), and thermal (DSC/TGA) methods. Likewise, its total content of dietary fiber and polyphenols, as well as its antioxidant activity, were determined. This dried mucilage presented a light pale yellow-reddish color, attributed to the presence of betalains (bioactive pigments with high antioxidant activity). The FTIR spectrum revealed functional groups associated with a low presence of proteins (5.45 ± 0.04%) and a high concentration of oligosaccharides (55.26 ± 0.10%). A zeta potential of −29...
Source: Molecules - Category: Chemistry Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research