Betacyanin Content Research Articles

Dragon Fruits as a Reservoir of Natural Polyphenolics with Chemopreventive Properties.

Dragon fruits are a valued source of bioactive compounds with high potential to become a functional food. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the chemopreventive potential and chemical composition of fruits harvested in Thailand and Israel. The amount of different compounds in water and methanol extracts and antioxidant activity was investigated. Moreover, cytotoxic activity against cancer and normal cells of skin, prostate, and gastrointestinal origin was performed, accompanied by anti-inflammatory assay based on NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophage model. Additionally, the quenching properties of polyphenols from fruits were determined by the interaction of the main drug carrier in blood human serum (HSA). The chemometric analysis was used to reveal the relationships between the determined parameters. Dragon fruits harvested in Israel revealed higher antioxidant properties and total content of polyphenols and betacyanins when compared to those from Thailand. The examined fruits of both origins showed significant cytotoxic activity toward colon and prostate cancer cells, with no toxic effect on normal cells, but also no anti-inflammatory effect. Moreover, a high binding ability to HSA was observed for water extracts of dragon fruits. All these predestine dragon fruits are the candidates for the attractive and chemopreventive elements of daily diet.

Winemaking Characteristics of Red-Fleshed Dragon Fruit from Three Locations in Guizhou Province, China.

The aim of this study was to identify the locations and harvest months in Guizhou province, China, producing the most suitable red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) for winemaking. Fruit from Guanling, Luodian and Zhenfeng counties was harvested separately from successive fruit cycles in August, September and October, respectively. The key traits measured were fruit weight, pulp yield, soluble solids content, and titratable acid. Wine characteristics measured were alcohol content, total carbohydrates, titratable acidity, volatile acidity, and betacyanin content. The overall suitability of fruit from each location for winemaking was evaluated using a multi‐factor, unweighted, scorecard. On that basis, fruit from Guanling county harvested in August was the most suitable. Fruit from Luodian, and Zhenfeng was most suitable when harvested in August and September, and September, respectively. These results provide a preliminary guide for the sourcing of red dragon fruit from Guizhou for wine production.

Potential of betacyanin as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 revealed by molecular docking study

Covid-19 is a global pandemic where an effective drug has yet to be found. A new coronavirus species, SARS-CoV-2 causes this disease. Several studies have been conducted on medicinal plant-based lead compounds to find antidotes for this virus. One of the fruits that with a high betacyanin content is super red dragon fruit produced by plant Hylocereus costaricensis. Betacyanin, besides having anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities, also has antiviral activity. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate betacyanin’s interaction with several SARS-CoV-2 receptors by observing its binding affinity and compared it with the nelfinavir and hydroxychloroquine sulfate that have been recommended for treating COVID-19. This research was an in silico study using computer software to assess binding affinity simulations based on molecular docking. The results of this study indicated that betacyanin had a good affinity with several receptors so that it has the potential to be developed as a lead compound to overcome COVID-19. Based on its binding affinity value, betacyanin’s ability was comparable to nelfinavir and hydroxychloroquine sulfate recommended by WHO as a therapeutic agent for COVID-19.

A Novel WRKY Transcription Factor HmoWRKY40 Associated with Betalain Biosynthesis in Pitaya (Hylocereus monacanthus) through Regulating HmoCYP76AD1.

Betalains are water-soluble nitrogen-containing pigments with multiple bioactivities. Pitaya is the only large-scale commercially grown fruit containing abundant betalains for consumers. However, the upstream regulators in betalain biosynthesis are still not clear. In this study, HmoWRKY40, a novel WRKY transcription factor, was obtained from the transcriptome data of pitaya (Hylocereus monacanthus). HmoWRKY40 is a member of the Group IIa WRKY family, containing a conserved WRKY motif, and it is located in the nucleus. The betalain contents and expression levels of HmoWRKY40 increased rapidly during the coloration of pitaya and reached their maximums on the 23rd day after artificial pollination (DAAP). Yeast one-hybrid and transient expression assays showed that HmoWRKY40 could bind and activate the promoter of HmoCYP76AD1. Silencing the HmoWRKY40 gene resulted in a significant reduction of betacyanin contents. These results indicate that HmoWRKY40 transcriptionally activates HmoCYP76AD, which is involved in the regulation of pitaya betalain biosynthesis. The results of the present study provide new regulatory networks related to betalain biosynthesis in pitaya.

The application of betacyanin microcapsules as natural food colorant on beverage model

Betacyanin microcapsules were made from betacyanin extract (extracted from red dragon fruit peel) and coated with coating material, consist of maltodextrin + gum arabic. The effect of heating on the stability of betacyanin content and color in beverage model containing betacyanin were studied. Betacyanin microcapsules were applicate in water with different pasteurization temperatures (65°C, 70°C, 75°C, 80°C) and time heating (10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes). The result showed betacyanin content was not significantly decreased after it heated for 10 minutes to 20 minutes. This indicated betacyanin microcapsules from red dragon peel was potential to be natural food colorant in beverage model.

Bioactivity and cytotoxicity of different species of pitaya fruits – A comparative study with advanced chemometric analysis

Pitaya or dragon fruit comprises a group of exotic cacti species of the genus Hylocereus, with characteristic, eye-catching fruits. The present study analyzed the bioactive compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids, total polyphenols and betacyanins) in different species (H. costaricensis, H. undatus and H. megalanthus) and varieties of fruits harvested in Israel. Direct comparisons of antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of the methanol and water extracts of the fruits, with the range of antioxidant tests (ABTS, CUPRAC, DPPH and FRAP) and also with normal (HaCaT and PNT2) and cancer (A375, WM793, Du145, HepG2, Caco-2, HT-29 and A549) cell lines was done. Advanced chemometric analysis was used to provide more information on the relationship between the fruits’ compounds, varieties and biological activity of pitaya. Significant differences were observed between the tested pitaya samples for their chemical content and bioactivities. Red-skin pitaya fruits had the highest content of polyphenols and betacyanins and also had high antioxidant activity. The cytotoxic effect of H. costaricensis on cancer cells was greater than that of H. megalanthus and H. undatus, while none of the species was toxic to normal cells. The results showed that pitaya fruits have the potential to be included among the functional fruits. The species and even the variety of the pitaya fruit are of importance, as the different fruits varied significantly in their properties.

Antioxidant capacities and betacyanin lc‐ms profile of red‐fleshed dragon fruit juice ( hylocereus polyrhizus ) extracted by ultrasound‐assisted enzymatic treatment and optimized by response surface methodology

For the enhancement of betacyanin and phenolic compounds, that is, health-beneficial antioxidants, in red-fleshed dragon fruit, the response surface methodology (RSM) was employed using the Box–Behnken design to determine the combined effects of ultrasonic and enzymatic treatments on the maximization of their contents in the fruit juice. The optimal condition including 18.4 min of sonication and 88.5 min of enzymatic treatment at 33.0°C was obtained for the highest release of betacyanins, while those values were 13.4 min, 71.5 min, and 43.9°C, respectively, for the optimal total phenolic content (TPC). Liquid chromatographic and mass spectrometric (LC-MS) analysis and antioxidant tests by 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assays verified that the optimization of ultrasound-assisted enzymatic treatment process toward betacyanin could improve the release of native betacyanins and betalain-related compounds. Meanwhile, although TPC-aimed optimization led to moderate degradation of native betacyanins, it enhanced the overall antioxidant capacities of the juice more efficiently. Practical applications Dragon fruit has high contents of betacyanins and phenolics which are health-benefit bioactive compounds. The combination of ultrasonic and enzymatic treatment is one green extraction technology to enhance these compounds into the juice. Response surface methodology (RSM) with Box–Behnken design can reduce the number of experiments and provide the optimal operating parameters for the system. The results of the current work could provide useful data for pilot and industrial scale-up applications.

Degradation Kinetics of Betacyanins during the Pasteurization and Storage of Cactus Pear (Opuntia dillenii Haw.) Juice Using the Arrhenius, Eyring, and Ball Models

Betacyanin stability was assessed over temperatures ranging from 60 to 90 °C for cactus pear (Opuntia dillenii Haw.) juice. The juice showed a betacyanin content of 0.76 g/kg. The rate constants for the betacyanin degradation and isothermal kinetic parameters were calculated according to the following three models: Arrhenius, Eyring, and Ball. The fittings of the models were found to be close to one other with SSE values of 0.0964, 0.0964, and 0.0974, respectively. However, because the estimated parameters for the Ball equation happened to be less correlated than the parameters of the other models, this equation was then used for the simulations. The parameters for z and D0 were 42.21 °C and 6.79 × 104 s, respectively. Betacyanins were found to resist typical heat treatment conditions (F70°C values between 100 and 200 min), with a maximum loss of 10% when the temperature was above 80 °C. The time/temperature combinations that could assure both the safety of the product and the preservation of the betacyanins were identified. With Enterococcus faecalis as the reference, when the temperature was 100 °C, the pasteurization time satisfying these two conditions was 0.6 min, whereas it was 180 min when the temperature was 62 °C. The degradation of betacynins during storage was positively correlated with temperature and was accompanied by the appearance of a brown shade.

KONDISI OPTIMUM PERLAKUAN AWAL DAN PENGERINGAN KULIT BUAH NAGA KERING

Antioxidant plays an important role in keeping the body health. Antioxidant is needed to prevent the occurrence of oxidative stress, which causes of various degenerative diseases. Betacyanin in the dragon fruit peel takes part in antioxidant activity. The research is conducted using the central composite design (CCD) of the response surface methodology (RSM). This research aims to optimize the initial treatment condition by applying natrium metabisulfite immersion and drying on the dried dragon fruit peel. Three design composite factors used are natrium metabisulfite concentration (X1: 0.2-0.4%), drying temperature (X2: 65-75°C), and drying duration (X3: 4-5 hours) with betacyanin content (Y1) and antioxidant activity (Y2) as the response. A quadratic model is a method chosen for this research. The surface response showed the natrium metabisulfite concentration, temperature, and drying duration had signifi-cant effects on the betacyanin content and antioxidant activity. The most optimum condition of initial treatment is showed by immersion in 0.23% natrium metabisulfite and drying temperature of 70°C for 4.5 hours which resulted in 44.07 mg/100 g of betacyanin concentration and 50.56% antioxidant activity.

Bioactive Components and Radical Scavenging Activity in Selected Advance Lines of Salt-Tolerant Vegetable Amaranth.

Four selected advance lines of salt-tolerant vegetable amaranth were evaluated for proximate, nutraceuticals, pigments, phytochemicals, and antioxidants components antioxidants activity in completely randomized block design (RCBD) design in three replicates. Salt-tolerant vegetable amaranth contained adequate carbohydrates, protein, moisture, and dietary fiber. The remarkable contents of iron, manganese, copper, zinc, sodium, molybdenum, boron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, betacyanins, betalains, betaxanthins, chlorophylls, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant potentiality were found in salt-tolerant vegetable amaranth. The genotypes LS7 and LS9 had abundant proximate, nutraceuticals, pigments, phytochemicals, and antioxidants compared to the genotypes LS3 and LS5. Salt-tolerant vegetable amaranth demonstrated high content of flavonoid compounds including flavonols such as rutin, kaempferol, isoquercetin, myricetin, hyperoside, and quercetin; flavanol, such as catechin; flavone such as apigenin; and flavanone, such as naringenin. For the first time, we identified one flavonol such as myricetin; one flavanol, such as catechin; one flavone such as apigenin; and one flavanone, such as naringenin in salt-tolerant vegetable amaranth. Across six flavonols, rutin and quercetin were identified as the most prominent compounds followed by isoquercetin and myricetin in selected salt-tolerant vegetable amaranths. Across the genotypes, LS7 exhibited the highest flavonols such as rutin, kaempferol, isoquercetin, myricetin, hyperoside, and quercetin as well as the highest flavanols, such as catechin; flavones such as apigenin; and flavanones, such as naringenin. It revealed from the correlation study that antioxidant components of salt-tolerant vegetable amaranth genotypes exhibited good radical quenching capacity of 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl equivalent to Trolox. The two genotypes LS7 and LS9 of vegetable amaranth containing excellent sources of proximate, nutraceuticals, pigments, phytochemicals, and antioxidants components could be used as potent antioxidants to attaining nutrients and antioxidant sufficiency in the saline prone area of the globe. We can extract colorful juice from the genotypes LS7 and LS9 as drink purposes for consuming the nutraceuticals and antioxidant deficient community in the saline prone area around the world. However, further detail experimentation is required to confirm the standardization and stabilization of functional components of vegetable amaranth for extraction of juice as drinks.

Betacyanins and Betaxanthins in Cultivated Varieties of Beta vulgaris L. Compared to Weed Beets.

There are 11 different varieties of Beta vulgaris L. that are used in the food industry, including sugar beets, beetroots, Swiss chard, and fodder beets. The typical red coloration of their tissues is caused by the indole-derived glycosides known as betalains that were analyzed in hypocotyl extracts by UV/Vis spectrophotometry to determine the content of betacyanins (betanin) and of betaxanthins (vulgaxanthin I) as constituents of the total betalain content. Fields of beet crops use to be also infested by wild beets, hybrids related to B. vulgaris subsp. maritima or B. macrocarpa Guss., which significantly decrease the quality and quantity of sugar beet yield; additionally, these plants produce betalains at an early stage. All tested B. vulgaris varieties could be distinguished from weed beets according to betacyanins, betaxanthins or total betalain content. The highest values of betacyanins were found in beetroots ‘Monorubra’ (9.69 mg/100 mL) and ‘Libero’ (8.42 mg/100 mL). Other beet varieties contained less betacyanins: Sugar beet ‘Labonita’ 0.11 mg/100 mL; Swiss chard ‘Lucullus,’ 0.09 mg/100 mL; fodder beet ‘Monro’ 0.15 mg/100 mL. In contrast with weed beets and beetroots, these varieties have a ratio of betacyanins to betaxanthins under 1.0, but the betaxanthin content was higher in beetcrops than in wild beet and can be used as an alternative to non-red varieties. Stability tests of selected varieties showed that storage at 22 °C for 6 h, or at 7 °C for 24 h, did not significantly reduce the betalain content in the samples.

Stabilisation of betalains and phenolic compounds extracted from red cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) by spray and freeze-drying using oca (Oxalis tuberosa) starch as drying aid

The objective of this work was to evaluate the stabilisation of betalains and phenolic compounds extracted from red cactus pear by spray and freeze-drying. After hydroethanolic extraction and partial solvent removal under reduced pressure, the highly coloured extracts were enriched with oca starch and maltodextrin as drying aids in different ratios (100:0, 70:30, and 50:50, oca starch: maltodextrin) prior to spray and freeze-drying. The obtained microencapsulated extract powders were characterised by moisture content, hygroscopicity, solubility and morphology. In addition, the stability of the encapsulated betalains and phenolics was evaluated during storage at room temperature for 105 days. All microcapsules showed high retentions of betacyanins (69.9-86.5% after 105 days), betaxanthins (72.2-81.9%), phenolic compounds (46.5-63.5%) and antioxidant capacity (60.1-64.9%, FRAP method; 49.7-57.5%, ABTS method). The system with 70:30 starch:maltodextrin ratio as drying aids showed the highest values of retention regarding the polyphenol content (63.5%), antioxidant capacity (64.9% to FRAP method) and betacyanin content (86.5%), as well as a low degradation rate constant of betacyanins (1.23 × 10-3days-1) and a long half-life (563 days). Oca starch used alone or in combination with maltodextrin has been shown to work adequately as a microencapsulating agent and stabilizer of pigments and antioxidants derived from red cactus pear.

Identification and Determination of Betacyanins in Fruit Extracts of Melocactus Species

Betacyanin pigments were studied in edible fruits of four Melocactus species, M. violaceus Pfeiff., M. bahiensis (Britton & Rose) Luetzelb, M. amoenus (Hoffm.) Pfeiff., and M. curvispinus Pfeiff., by means of chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. The main pigment constituent, melocactin, endogenously present in the Melocactus species, was identified as betanidin 5-O-β-sophoroside betacyanin, previously known as “bougainvillein-r-I”. The highest total concentration of betacyanins was found in fruits of M. amoenus (∼0.08 mg/g). Except for melocactin being the most abundant betacyanin (34.8–38.8%) in the analyzed species, a presence of its malonylated derivative, mammillarinin (15.2–19.9%), as well as more hydrophobic feruloyled and sinapoyled melocactins was confirmed by additional co-chromatographic experiments with authentic reference betacyanins. The acyl migration isomers of the malonylated betacyanins as well as a presence of 5′′-O-E-sinapoyl-2′-O-apiosyl-betanin (2.3–3.0%) found frequently in light-stressed cacti was also acknowledged.

Antioxidant Properties of Herbal Tea Prepared from Red Dragon Fruit Peel with The Addition of Ginger

The peel of red dragon fruit usually discarded. It is rich in polyphenol compounds that have antioxidant activity and health benefits. This research aimed to determine the antioxidant properties of herbal tea such as phenolic content, betacyanin content, and antioxidant activity. The herbal tea prepared with hot oven drying methods, where’s the fresh peel of red dragon fruit and ginger were cut to be small pieces and dried at 60oC, and ground into tea powder then mixed as treatments. Results showed that the addition of ginger has no significant effect on phenolic content, and betacyanin content decreased by the addition of ginger. The phenolic content of herbal tea (0% ginger) and the highest addition of ginger (12%) were 3.39±1.19 mg GAE/g and 3.59±1.43 mg GAE/g respectively. The betacyanin content were 124.63±1.61 mg/100 g (0% ginger) and 104.01±2.99 mg/100g (12% ginger). As the amount of ginger added increased, the percentage of inhibition of herbal tea decreased from 66.23%±2.67 to 61.19%±2.45%.

Betacyanins from Hylocereus polyrhizus: pectinase-assisted extraction and application as a natural food colourant in ice cream.

The effect of solvent, substrate-to-solvent ratio and concentration of pectinase on the extraction of betacyanins from the pulp of red pitahaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) was evaluated with respect to yield, betacyanin content (BC) and total sugar content. The application of betacyanins from red pitahaya in ice cream was then evaluated by comparison to a commercial colourant, E-162. Without the use of pectinase, the highest yields (9.11 ± 0.35%) of betacyanins were obtained using 95% ethanol at a substrate-to-solvent ratio of 1:1. With the use of pectinase at a concentration of 1.5%, the highest yield (17.11-17.45%) of betacyanins were obtained using water as a solvent at a substrate-to-solvent ratio of 1:1 and 1:2. Pectinase treatment (1.5-2.5%) using water as a solvent yielded betacyanins with the highest BC (126.47-130.83gkg-1) and lowest total sugar content (57.85-59.74gkg-1). The BC and total colour changes were similar in ice cream containing betacyanins from red pitahaya and E-162 throughout the 21-days of frozen storage at -18°C. Betacyanins from red pitahaya or E-162 enhanced the antioxidant properties of ice cream. The sensory evaluation of ice cream containing betacyanins from red pitahaya showed a better colour acceptability than E-162.

Effects of pectinase treatment on the physicochemical and oenological properties of red dragon fruit wine fermented with Torulaspora delbrueckii

Red dragon fruit is a popular tropical fruit that has been highly prized for its health benefits partially attributed to the high antioxidant content. Nevertheless, besides being consumed fresh, further processing into juice or other products is scarce due to its high pectin content that presents a challenge in industrial processing. In this study, we evaluated the effects of pectinase pre-treatment on red dragon fruit wine fermented with Torulaspora delbrueckii. Pectinase enzyme (Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, added at 0.1% v/v) was applied after pasteurization of juice followed by fermentation with T. delbrueckii at 20 °C for 14 days. Pectinase pre-treatment did not affect the yeast growth, nor the production of ethanol (8% v/v) and glycerol (6 g/L), but significantly increased juice/wine yield by 16% v/v. In addition, pectinase treated samples after fermentation remained significantly higher levels of residual nitrogen containing compounds, indicating unfavorable fermentation conditions and impaired metabolism of the yeast. Moreover, fermented pectinase treated samples possessed the aroma compound profiles with enriched esters and terpenes but decreased higher alcohols. Furthermore, pectinase treatment increased the total phenolic content, but decreased betacyanins content and color intensity compared to control sample. The findings would have practical significance for diversifying products from red dragon fruit.

Identification of New Betalains in Separated Betacyanin and Betaxanthin Fractions from Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas) by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS.

An improved methodology of achieving an accurate separation of pure fractions of betacyanins and betaxanthins from Ullucus tuberosus Caldas has been carried out. For that purpose, an in-depth chemical identification of each betalain fraction using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS was developed. This procedure allowed to evaluate the fractionation efficiency and also identify a large number of betalains, most of which have not been described so far in this raw material: betanidin- and isobetanidin-5-O-(4'-O-malonyl-β-glucoside), 2-decarboxy-phyllocactin, betanidin- and isobetanidin-6-O-(6'-O-feruloyl)-β-glucoside (gomphrenin and isogomphrenin III), dehydro-phyllocactin and isophyllocactin, and arginine and glycine-betaxanthins (portulacaxanthin III). Moreover, the availability of pure betalain fractions by the proposed methodology permitted to establish the total betalain content and the antioxidant activity of both separated betacyanin and betaxanthin fractions of ulluco for the first time. The results suggest Ullucus tuberosus as an underutilized food bioactive source with a high concentration of total betaxanthins (21.8μg indicaxanthin/g fresh ulluco) and betacyanins (44.5μg betanin/g fresh ulluco), strongly correlated to the Folin-Ciocalteau reduction capacity.

Drying of extracted betacyanin from red dragon fruit (Hylocereus Costaricensis) as natural colorant by using spray dryer in various operating condition

One of the natural dyes that can be used in food is betacyanin from red dragon fruit. The betacyanin extracted from the red dragon fruit potentially be used for industrial ingredients such as a natural dye that is appropriate and can be applied further for food colouring. The drying process is one of the important stages in producing betacyanin extract from dragon fruit. The objective of this research was to study drying process of extract betacyanin from red dragon fruit using spray dryer in various operation condition. There materials from red dragon fruit: whole fruit, fruit flesh and fruit skin were used for extraction process with water as a solvent. Maltodextrin (30 %) was added as filler to the extracts. The inlet temperature that used in spray dryer condition were: 140 °C, 160 °C, 180 °C. The results showed the highest betacyanin content was found in whole dragon fruit extracts used spray dryer with Inlet temperature 140°C (411.80 mg / kg).

STUDI PENAMBAHAN SERAI (Cymbopogon citratus) DAN TEMU MANGGA (Curcuma mangga) TERHADAP KARAKTERISTIK FISIKOKIMIA DAN ORGANOLEPTIK MINUMAN SARI UMBI BIT (Beta vulagris L.)

As food contains vitamin, mineral and antioxidant, beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) had beneficial for health. Although beetroot contains a lot of nutritional value, beetroot is less liked by the public because of an earthy taste. For this reason, it needs innovation of the beetroot processing into products that can be accepted by the public, such as beverage fruit drink with food additives. In this study, beetroot juice with food additives, i.e. lemongrass, and turmeric mango was expected to improve taste and acceptable consumer. This study were aimed to analyze the effect of lemongrass and turmeric mango on physicochemical characteristics and determine the organoleptic quality of beetroot juice. This study used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with the addition of lemongrass and turmeric mango respectively 1%, 3%, 5% concentration in the beetroot juice. Negative control used beetroot juice plain and the positive control used beet juice plus honey. Data were analyzed by variance (ANOVA), if the results obtained were significantly different, the DMRT continuing with 5% significant level. The results showed that the addition of lemongrass and turmeric mango with the concentration of each 1%, 3%, 5% effect on the physicochemical characteristics and organoleptic beet juice. The highest total dissolved solids was 6.92oBrix and the highest betacyanin content of 10.26 mg/L occurred at the addition of 5% turmeric mango. The highest pH value was shown in the negative control (beetroot juice plain) with an average of 6.52. The highest vitamin C content found in the addition of 1% lemongrass about 6.16 mg/100g. The results also showed that the organoleptic beet juice with the addition of 1% lemongrass and the positive control (beet juice plus honey) as a sample that it the most preferred by the panelists.
 Keywords: beetroot juice, lemongrass, physical-chemistry, organoleptic, turmeric mango

Valorization of Banana and Red Beetroot Peels: Determination of Basic Macrocomponent Composition, Application of Novel Extraction Methodology and Assessment of Biological Activity In Vitro

The nutritional and bioactive content of banana and red beetroot peels was investigated. The basic macrocomponent composition was determined using standard AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) methods, while the recovery efficiency of bioactive compounds was investigated using conventional and innovative extraction techniques (subcritical water extraction, ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction). Extracts were analyzed for biological effects in vitro on human hepatic, tongue and colon cancer cell lines. A macrocomponent analysis revealed a notable amount of dietary fiber in banana and beetroot peels (39.0 and 33.6% dmb) and a relatively high content of protein in beetroot peel (18.3% dmb). Regarding the micronutrients-minerals, banana and beetroot peels were shown to be a very good source of potassium (75.06 and 41.86 mg g−1 dmb). Both extracts of banana and beetroot peels obtained by conventional extraction - decoction (100 °C, 20 min) exhibited the highest total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Additionally, in banana peel, these extracts were the richest in dopamine content (12.63 mg g−1 dmb). Extraction by infusion (80 °C, 30 min) yielded a beetroot peel extract with the highest total betacyanin content (9.80 mg g−1 dmb). Biological effects in vitro were dose- and time-dependent, as well as influenced by the presence of polysaccharides.