Red Pitaya Research Articles

Soil fertility, growth, nutrition and production of red pitaya subjected to liming

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of liming on soil fertility, growth, nutrition and production of red pitaya (Hylocereus monacanthus) plants cultivated in pot. The experiment was conducted in blocks, with five doses of limestone (0.0; 0.6; 1.2; 1.8; and 2.5 t ha − 1) and four replicates. Corrective doses were established to achieve base saturation of 20 to 70%. Liming increased soil pH (4.5 to 6.7), Ca concentration (5.36 to 20.11 mmolc dm − 3), Mg concentration (4.36 to 16.53 mmolc dm − 3) and base saturation (23.69 to 72.61%) and reduced potential acidity (37.39 to 15.41 mmolc dm − 3). Liming reduces nitrogen concentration and increased phosphorus, calcium and sulfur concentrations in the cladodes. There was an increase in phosphorus concentration and decrease in boron and iron concentrations in fruit peel according to the increase in limestone doses; in the pulp, there was an increase in boron concentration and decrease in iron and zinc concentrations, from the lowest to the highest dose of limestone. Based on the principal component analysis, the limestone dose of 1.8 t ha − 1 increased base saturation to 59%, providing favorable chemical conditions for the growth and productivity of red pitaya.

CAN Bus Message Authentication via Co-Channel RF Watermark

Over the past decade, consumer vehicles have increasingly begun to resemble computers on wheels, with many newer vehicles containing over 100 independent electronic control units (ECU) that make independent decisions within the vehicle. Cost and power constraints for the vehicle significantly constrain processing capabilities and limitations on practical cybersecurity measures that may be employed in the vehicle today. Also, as automotive manufacturers are continuous integrators, many legacy communications links within vehicles were originally designed as standalone entities that assumed internal trust of communications between ECUs by virtue of closed bus structures and an emphasis on reliability, but not security. This paper presents a low-cost authentication mechanism to significantly improve message validation on wired message buses such as the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus by employing a co-channel underlay watermark that arrives time-aligned with the primary bus messages. Concept validation using a gate-level Simulink / HDL Coder simulation provided initial feasibility, while a complete CAN bus hardware testbed was constructed with a custom CAN transceiver built on a Red Pitaya software defined radio (SDR) connected to multiple commercial CAN transceivers to validate backwards compatibility. This testbed incorporates a custom transmission security (TRANSEC) engine that supports dynamic variation of the watermark, further improving security during deployment. Finally, this custom CAN testbed with the watermarking CAN transceiver was tested across a range of operational conditions, with initial performance results presented and discussed. Future work describes potential for near-term ruggedization and productization of the watermarking CAN transceiver.

Impact of temperature and relative humidity on physicochemical properties of the spray dried red flesh pitaya powder during storage

This study was carried out to evaluate the changes in physicochemical properties of pitaya powder produced by spray-drying under the different temperature storage at 5-7 , room temperature, and 50 for 40 days, The results showed that delta E of color increased but the content of betacyanin and total phenolic decreased following temperature increase. The degradation of betacyanin and total phenolic content in all samples during storage fitted the first-order reaction. Moreover, the behavior of moisture content in pitaya powder under different relative humidity was investigated. The isotherm curve of pitaya powder was built (y = 3,2655e0,0106x). The result also showed the GAB equation can be used to calculate the M0 of the sample better than the BET equation.

Cultural perception as a primary factor in the market for Red Sour Pitaya (Stenocereus gummosus) in the region of La Paz, Baja California Sur

The study includes the analysis of cultural, commercial, and safety factors that affect the potential of the trade of the red sour pitaya (Stenocereus gummosus), as well as its characterization, consumer patterns, consumption channels, and the relevance, identity, and cultural value of the fruit in the Municipality of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The investigation has the objective of understanding the perception of the product in local knowledge, which is identified in the study area, where the wild fruit takes an added value in informal commercialization and is amalgamated with the local culture. For the analysis and data collection, a simple random sampling was conducted, on 227 economically active people with purchasing power. The method of applying the instrument was digital, limiting face-to-face contact with people due to the current Covid 19 pandemic. The exercise characterizes a population with mostly university studies, which consumes the product in a traditional way, which reflected a greater appreciation of the pitaya fruit, by older people.

Optimized extraction of phenolic antioxidants from red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) seeds by subcritical water extraction using response surface methodology

Optimized extraction of phenolic antioxidants from red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) seeds by subcritical water extraction using response surface methodology

Storage Stability and In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Liposomal Betacyanins from Red Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus).

In order to address the poor stability of the betacyanins from red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus, HP), which are considered as good sources of natural colorant, liposomal-encapsulation technique was applied in this study. Thin-layer dispersion method was employed to prepare HP betacyacnin liposomes (HPBL). The formulation parameters for HPBL were optimized, and the characteristics, stability, and release profile of HPBL in in vitro gastrointestinal systems were evaluated.Results showed that an HP betacyanin encapsulation efficiency of 93.43 ± 0.11% was obtained after formulation optimization. The HPBL exhibited a narrow size distribution of particle within a nanometer range and a strong electronegative ζ-potential. By liposomal encapsulation, storage stability of HP betacyanin was significantly enhanced in different storage temperatures. When the environmental pH ranged from 4.3–7.0, around 80% of HP betacyanins were preserved on Day 21 with the liposomal protection. The loss of 2,2′-Diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and color deterioration of HPBL were developed in accordance with the degradation of HP betacyanins during storage. In in vitro gastrointestinal digestion study, with the protection of liposome, the retention rates of HP betacyanins in vitro were enhanced by 14% and 40% for gastric and intestinal digestion, respectively.This study suggested that liposomal encapsulation was an effective approach to stabilize HP betacyanins during storage and gastrointestinal digestion, but further investigations were needed to better optimize the liposomal formulation and understand the complex liposomal system.

The Prototype of a Fast Vertical Ionosonde Based on Modern Software-Defined Radio Devices

The description and test results of the prototype of a fast ionosonde for the vertical sounding of the ionosphere, which makes it possible to record ionograms once a second, are presented. Such a high rate of registration of ionograms is required to study the fast processes of redistribution of electron concentration during heating experiments, for registration of fast quasiperiodic and moving ionospheric disturbances in the F, E, and Es layers. The key feature of the presented development is the usage of publicly available radio-electronic components. This provided a significant reduction in the cost of creating the prototype. In the current version, the prototype is based on the software-defined radio (SDR) devices Red Pitaya SDRlab 122-16 and LimeSDR. The test results showed that the quality of the ionograms recorded using the prototype is not worse than the quality of ionograms recorded using the professional CADI ionosonde. The low cost of the components allows providing multi-position registration of ionograms for determination the dynamics of natural and artificial ionospheric disturbances in 3D region of space at a lower expenses rate, as well as to create a network of ionospheric observation points with an increased number of ionosondes.

Co-application of biochar and organic fertilizer promotes the yield and quality of red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) by improving soil properties

This study evaluated the combined impact of biochar and organic fertilizer on the soil properties, yield and quality of red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus). A two-year (2019 and 2020) field experiment was conducted to study the effects of 3 rates of biochar (with carbon fertilizer ratios of 0%, 3%, and 6% w/w) combined with 3 levels of organic fertilizer (22.5, 45, and 90 t ha−1) on soil properties, along with red pitaya yield and quality. The results showed that soil pH, total organic carbon, available nutrients (N, P, and K), the yield and qualities (reduced sugar, soluble protein, and soluble solid) of red pitaya increased with the application of organic fertilizer compared with no application of biochar and organic fertilizer (CK treatment), but the combined application of biochar and organic fertilizer was more effective than their sole application. Furthermore, a medium dose of organic fertilizer combined with 3% biochar (C3F2 treatment) and a high dose of organic fertilizer combined with 3% biochar (C3F3 treatment) had the highest yields of red pitaya in 2019 and 2020. However, an application of 6% biochar with a low dose of organic fertilizer treatment (C6F1) had the highest profit in 2020, not the C3F3 treatment. The highest profits were observed in the C3F2 (71.0 × 103 RMB·t−1) and C6F1 (51.2 × 103 RMB·t−1) treatments. From the point of view of red pitaya yield and economic benefits, 3% biochar +45 t ha−1 organic fertilizer was the recommended combination that showed the best synergistic effect.

Biogenic proficient synthesis of (Au-NPs) via aqueous extract of Red Dragon Pulp and seed oil: Characterization, antioxidant, cytotoxic properties, anti-diabetic anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer and their anti-proliferative potential against cancer cell lines

Gold nanoparticles with tiny sizes and biostability are particularly essential and are employed in a variety of biomedical applications. Using a reducing agent and a stabilising agent to make gold nanoparticles has been reported in a number of studies. Gold nanoparticles with a particle size of 25.31 nm were synthesized in this study utilising Hylocereus polyrhizus (Red Pitaya) extract, which functions as a reducing and stabilising agent. The extract of Red Pitaya is said to be a powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer agent. Because of its substantial blood biocompatibility and physiological stability, green production of gold nanoparticles with H. polyrhizus fruit extract is an alternative to chemical synthesis and useful for biological and medical applications. The formation and size distribution of gold nanoparticles were confirmed by HPLC, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zeta potential, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The well-analysed NPs were used in various biological assays, including anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer, and antioxidant (DPPH), and cytotoxic investigations. The NPs also showed a dose-dependent cytotoxic activity against HCT-116, HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines, with IC50 of 100 µg/mL for HCT-116 cells, 155 µg/mL for HepG2, and for MCF-7 cells the value was 165 µg/mL respectively. Finally, the outstanding biocompatibility of Au-NPs has led to the conclusion that they are a promising choice for various biological applications.

Extraction and stability of pigments obtained from pitaya bark flour (Hylocereus costaricensis)

Red pitaya fruits have become a source of natural dye, because they are rich in betacyanin, a pigment that imparts a red-violet colour. However, natural dyes can be highly unstable and prone to rapid degradation. In this study, an experiment was initially carried out to determine the best extraction solution with an extraction time of 20 min for each solution at room temperature (50% methanol, water, 95% ethanol and 80% acetone), in different pH ranges (4.0 to 9.0) and wavelength (485, 535 and 700 nm), for the red pitaya bark. The stability of the pigments extracted from pitaya peel meal was analysed taking into account the best extraction solutions by spectrophotometric measurements at 15-day intervals, during a 60-day storage period, in the absence and presence of light and under different storage conditions. Pigments stored in the absence of light at freezing temperatures for less than 15 days showed least degradation. The FTIR spectrum in shows two distinct peaks at 3263.870 and 1636.807, these absorption bands are characteristic of betalain functional groups. The spectrum indicates the presence of hydroxy and amine groups as strong, broad, stretching-mode bands, appearing between 3200 cm-1 and 3600 cm-1.

Use of peels in the formulation and acceptance of white pulp pitaya jellies

The generation of agroindustrial waste has become a serious environmental problem, which conflicts with the need for sustainability sought by modern agriculture. An alternative that helps minimizing these effects is the use of residues, such as fruit peel, in food production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of the mesocarp of the white-fleshed red pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) in the preparation of jellies, verifying the influence of different percentages of pulp replacement per mesocarp (0, 20, 40 and 60%) on the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensorial characteristics of the final products. The jellies presented good acceptability among consumers, with the 60% substitution level being the most accepted. Besides the mesocarp not altering the flavor of the jellies, its use increases the attractiveness to the consumer in addition to contributing to cost reduction and environment preservation.

LithPulser: An open-source pulse generator with 1ns time resolution based on the Red Pitaya STEMlab 125-10 featuring real-time conditional logic for experimental control.

Many experiments in the physical sciences require high temporal resolution on multiple control channels and can benefit from conditional logic control of the experimental sequence patterns. We present LithPulser, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) based open-source digital pulser solution with 1ns time resolution on 14 digital output channels. The pulser is set up on the affordable Xilinx Zynq-7010 FPGA in the form of the Red Pitaya STEMlab board 125-10. It offers up to 125MHz bandwidth and a sequence duration of up to 4.2s and features 16 sequence play control, including a conditional logic module reactive to input events in real-time. LithPulser is designed for a trial until success experimental use case.

The influence of the fortification of red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) powder on the in vitro digestion, physical parameters, nutritional profile, polyphenols and antioxidant activity in the oat‐wheat bread

AbstractThis study evaluated the physical parameters, polyphenol profile and antioxidant activity before and after the in vitro digestion of red pitaya powder‐enriched oat‐wheat bread compared to plain wheat bread, oat‐wheat bread and red pitaya powder. The enrichment of red pitaya powder significantly increased the polyphenol, mineral contents, insoluble dietary fibre, firmness and moisture content of oat‐wheat bread compared to wheat bread, while contributed to a minor reduction in bread volume and dough extensibility due to gluten dilution. The oat‐wheat bread was found to have the lowest predicted glycaemic response, but 5%, 10% and 15% red pitaya powder formulated oat‐wheat bread showed a significantly lower glycaemic response than plain wheat bread as well as red pitaya powder.

Use of fruit epicarps to formulate pectin-based bioactive films / Utilização de epicarpos de frutos para formulação de filmes bioativos à base de pectinas

The functional properties of biofilms can vary according to the biopolymer used as the raw material; thus, in the search for alternative sources for preparation of biodegradable films, fruits and vegetables have been used to extract compounds of interest with applications in the food industry. The objective of this work was to obtain and characterize bioactive films based on pectin extracted from the epicarps (skin) of the fruit. The genipap (Genipa americana), red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) and star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) were collected, washed, pulped and dried at 50 °C for 24 h, and their epicarps were ground and subjected to pectin extraction using the casting method. The films were characterized as to their visual appearance, moisture, pH, water solubility and antioxidant activity. The pectin-based films of G. americana and H. polyrhizus showed a yellowish color, while A. carambola was dark brown. The highest pectin yield (29%) and moisture content (13.9%) were obtained from the H. polyrhizus film, while A. carambola showed the highest solubility in water (98.6%) and had the highest pH (3.9). Additionally, the film based on A. carambola showed greater antioxidant potential against ABTS (30.5%) and DPPH (34%), as well as greater reducing power (0.262 absorbance at 750 nm) and content of total phenolic compounds (553 mg GAE/100 g), whereas H. polyrhizus had a higher percentage of chelating ability (27%). The physicochemical characteristics and bioactive properties exhibited make the film formulation a viable alternative for the food industry.

Optimization of the encapsulation of the mixture made from flesh and peel pitaya extract by spray drying

In this study, the optimal conditions for spray drying of the extract made from flesh and peel of red pitaya were tested using the central composite design (CCD). The response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of inlet air drying temperature (145 – 155°C) and concentration of maltodextrin (13-17% w/w) on the physicochemical properties of the powder. The regression models accurately predicted the retention of betacyanin (R2=0.94) and total phenolic (R2=0.95). The optimal conditions for spray drying were determined as inlet air drying temperature at 148 and 14.62% maltodextrin. Under these conditions, the spray-dried powder achieved retention of betacyanin of 68.04% and retention of total phenolic of 84.17%. The optimized sample achieved a moisture content of 4.41%, the water activity of 0.39, and the water solubility index of 97.41%.

Maturation Process, Nutritional Profile, Bioactivities and Utilisation in Food Products of Red Pitaya Fruits: A Review

Red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus, red pulp with pink peel), also known as dragon fruit, is a well-known species of pitaya fruit. Pitaya seeds and peels have been reported to exhibit higher concentrations of total polyphenols, beta-cyanins and amino acid than pulp, while anthocyanins (i.e., cyanidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside and pelargonidin 3-glucoside) were only detected in the pulp extracts. Beta-cyanins, phenolics and flavonoids were found to increase gradually during fruit maturation and pigmentation appeared earlier in the pulp than peel. The phytochemicals were extracted and purified by various techniques and broadly used as natural, low-cost, and beneficial healthy compounds in foods, including bakery, wine, dairy, meat and confectionery products. These bioactive components also exhibit regulative influences on the human gut microbiota, glycaemic response, lipid accumulation, inflammation, growth of microbials and mutagenicity, but the mechanisms are yet to be understood. The objective of this study was to systematically summarise the effect of red pitaya’s maturation process on the nutritional profile and techno-functionality in a variety of food products. The findings of this review provide valuable suggestions for the red pitaya fruit processing industry, leading to novel formulations supported by molecular research.

Development and evaluation of gum arabic-based antioxidant nanocomposite films incorporated with cellulose nanocrystals and fruit peel extracts

The active food packaging films prepared in this study used gum arabic (GA)-cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as the film-forming matrix, and grape skin extract (GSE), pomegranate peel extract (PPE) and red pitaya peel extract (RPPE) as natural antioxidants by solution casting method. The combination of extracts changed the color and microstructure of the films, resulting in a decrease in mechanical strength and water resistance, but their flexibility and light transmittance were improved. Particularly, the PPE film can almost completely block the passage of ultraviolet light (200–400 nm). In addition, the composite films carrying the extracts possessed antioxidant capacity, which can extend the storage period of raspberries. The PPE film with the highest activity prominently reduced total color difference (4.08–2.08), weight loss rate (19.71–5.81%), moisture evaporation (21.29–18.22%) and fluctuation of nutrient content of the fruits in the raspberry preservation test.

Development and comparison of different polysaccharide/PVA-based active/intelligent packaging films containing red pitaya betacyanins

Betacyanin-rich red pitaya flesh extract (RPFE) was blended with different polysaccharides (chitosan, κ-carrageenan and locust bean gum) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based matrices to prepare active/intelligent packaging films. The structural, physical and functional properties of different polysaccharide/PVA-RPFE films were compared for the first time. Results showed chitosan/PVA-RPFE film, κ-carrageenan/PVA-RPFE and locust bean gum/PVA-RPFE film had homogeneous, layered and nodular cross-sections, respectively. Betacaynins in RPFE established strong hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions with chitosan. However, betacaynins mainly established hydrogen bonds with κ-carrageenan and locust bean gum. Chitosan/PVA-RPFE film was reddish brown whereas κ-carrageenan/PVA-RPFE and locust bean gum/PVA-RPFE films were reddish purple. Polysaccharide/PVA-RPFE films had different light transmittance, moisture contents (20.22–27.54%), water vapor permeability (8.36–10.25 × 10−11 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1), tensile strength (13.89–41.07 MPa), elongation at break (10.27–72.08%), pH-sensitivity and ammonia-sensitivity. When the films were stored at 4 °C and 20 °C for 21 days, locust bean gum/PVA-RPFE film exhibited the highest color stability and antioxidant stability. Meanwhile, locust bean gum/PVA-RPFE film effectively indicated the freshness of shrimp when shrimp was stored at 4 °C and 20 °C. The results suggested the structural, physical and functional properties of betacyanin-rich and polysaccharide-based films were greatly affected by the type of polysaccharides.

An Integrative Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Red Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) Seedlings in Response to Heat Stress.

Red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) is a significant functional food that is largely planted in Southeast Asia. Heat stress (HS) induced by high temperatures is likely to restrict the growth and survival of red pitaya. Although pitaya can tolerate temperatures as high as 40 °C, little is known of how it can withstand HS. In this study, the transcriptomic and metabolomic responses of red pitaya seedlings to HS were analyzed. A total of 198 transcripts (122 upregulated and 76 downregulated) were significantly differentially expressed after 24 h and 72 h of exposure to 42 °C compared with a control grown at 28 °C. We also identified 64 differentially accumulated metabolites in pitaya under HS (37 increased and 27 decreased). These differential metabolites, especially amino acids, organic acids, and sugars, are involved in metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of amino acids. Interaction network analysis of the heat-responsive genes and metabolites suggested that similar pathways and complex response mechanisms are involved in the response of pitaya to HS. Overexpression of one of the upregulated genes (contig10820) in Arabidopsis, which is a homolog of PR-1 and named HuPR-1, significantly increased tolerance to HS. This is the first study showing that HuPR-1 plays a role in the response of pitaya to abiotic stress. These findings provide valuable insights that will aid future studies examining adaptation to HS in pitaya.

Fruit extract of red pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) prevents and reverses stress-induced impairments in the cholinergic and antioxidant systems of Caenorhabditis elegans.

The addition of fruit to the diet is very important, and we can use nutraceutical and functional foods for this supplement. A little-known fruit is a red pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) that has been widely reported to have a high antioxidant potential. In this study, we analyzed the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant capacity of microencapsulated pitaya extract on the behavior, antioxidant, and nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The worms were treated with fruit extract before and after juglone-induced stress, to determine the protective or curative effects of pitaya. We have been evaluated cholinergic, antioxidant, and behavioral biomarkers. We have evidenced that the pulp of pitaya contains antioxidant compounds and can serve as a potential nutraceutical product. In addition, the fruit extract was effective in preventing and/or reverse the stress-induced damages, even at high levels of chemical stress at all evaluated parameters. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The potential applications and uses aimed by this research are related to the supplementation of foods given the antioxidant effect. Our data suggested that the effect of the pitaya fruit microencapsulated pulp extract was effective to prevent and repair the damage caused by oxidative stress. Besides the use of this microencapsulated extract can be an auxiliary in the treatment of diseases related to oxidative damage as well as promoting senescent aging. Another important use is the application of this extract as a dietary supplement to fortify the antioxidant system.