Abstract
Currently, consumers' demand for sunscreens derived from natural sources that provide photoprotection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is pushing the cosmetic industry to develop breakthrough formulations of sun protection products by incorporating plant antioxidants as their active ingredients. In this context, the present study was initiated to evaluate the antioxidant and photoprotective properties of the underutilized Hylocereus polyrhizus peel extract (HPPE) using in vitro spectrophotometric techniques. The phytochemical screenings of HPPE conducted via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) revealed the presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids as the major secondary metabolites in HPPE. The antioxidant potentials evaluated based on 2, 2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical and total antioxidant capacity assays were in the range of 22.16 ± 0.24%–84.67 ± 0.03% with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 36.39 ± 0.04 μg/mL and 23.76 ± 0.14%–31.87 ± 0.26% (IC50 = 21.93 ± 0.07 μg/mL), respectively. For the photoprotective evaluation, the results showed that HPPE had significantly high absorbance values (3.1–3.6) at 290–320 nm with an exceptional sun protection factor (SPF) value of 35.02 ± 0.39 at 1.00 mg/mL. HPPE also possessed a broad-spectrum shielding power against both UVA and UVB radiations. Hence, in terms of practical implications, our findings would offer an exciting avenue to develop a photoprotective formulation incorporating the ethanolic extract of Hylocereus polyrhizus peels as a synergistic active ingredient for its excellent UV absorption properties and the strong antioxidant activities.
Highlights
Belonging to the Hylocereus genus, pitaya or more commonly known as dragon fruit is a climbing vine cactus species that have successfully attained international recognition, both as an ornamental plant and as an economical fruit crop [1, 2]
Rutin has been previously identified in the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of polyphenol compounds in the flesh and peels of H. polyrhizus fruit prepared via extract subfractionation procedure and another study which reported on the optimization of the retrieval of highly beneficial compounds from pitaya fruit waste via microwave-assisted extraction [35, 36]
In a study conducted on the rat brain cells, rutin boosted the antioxidant potentials via increment of copper (Cu), zinc-superoxide dismutase (Zn-SOD), catalase (CAT), and phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and by elevating the GSH levels [45]
Summary
Belonging to the Hylocereus genus, pitaya or more commonly known as dragon fruit is a climbing vine cactus species that have successfully attained international recognition, both as an ornamental plant and as an economical fruit crop [1, 2]. H. polyrhizus is perceived to be the consumers’ favourite owing to its sweetness compared to the other types of pitayas [11]. The tremendous increment in H. polyrhizus processing produces massive amounts of by-products especially the peels and seeds. According to the report by United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the waste materials originating from vegetables and fruits account for a whopping 60% when compared to other types of foods. Us, compared to the seeds, a massive quantity of H. polyrhizus peel wastes are being produced and, as previously reported in the literature by Jamilah et al [15], the peels being disposed during processing are rich sources of antioxidants, vitamins, soluble and insoluble fiber, pectin, and betacyanin pigment. The decomposition of these waste materials generates unpleasant smell and causes detrimental effects by emitting harmful greenhouse gases [16, 17]
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