Food and Public Health 2015, 5(5): 203-206

DOI: 10.5923/j.fph.20150505.06

Antioxidant Activity in Red Dragon Fruit Jelly

Sumattana Glangkarn
Faculty of Public Health, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai District, Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand

Abstract Red dragon fruits are very high in fiber, low in calorie, and rich in vitamin C, minerals, and chlorophyll. Red

pulp and skin produce the betalain that contains high level of antioxidant activity. This experimental study aimed to
investigate antioxidants of the red dragon pulp jelly and the red dragon juice jelly mixing at the temperature 60C, 70C and
80C, using the DPPH assay. Antioxidant levels between the red dragon pulp jelly and the red dragon juice jelly were
compared at the same temperature. Consequently, the sensory testing of the product was conducted. The results revealed that,
at the temperature 60C, 70C and 80C, the antioxidants in red dragon pulp jelly were 79.19%, 78.40%, and 72.77%,
respectively, and the antioxidants in red dragon juice jelly were 57.59%, 57.12%, and 54.30%, respectively. Comparing at the
same temperature, the red dragon pulp jelly contained higher antioxidants than the red dragon juice jelly statistically
significant (p < 0.05). The highest antioxidant of each formula was the jelly mixed at the temperature 60C. The results of
sensory evaluation including color, smell, flavor and overall acceptability were at moderate level. Thus, the optimum
temperature used to make the red dragon jelly is 60C because red dragon jelly will be contained highly antioxidant activity.

Keywords Red dragon fruit, Antioxidant, Fruit jelly

1. Introduction
Colors play an important role in enhancing the aesthetic
appeal of food products. Many food products are suffered
color loss, due to some food processing procedures such as
heat treatment, pH changes, light exposure and storage
condition. Therefore, synthetic food colorants are
incorporated to recover color loss and to enhance the
appearance of food products. Unfortunately, some synthetic
colorants has been report to be health hazardous [1]. As a
result, natural pigment from biological sources came into
consideration especially plant pigments which include
betalain, anthocyanins, and other flavonoids, carotenoids and
chlorophylls [2]. Betalains are commercially used as food
colorant in the food industry. Unlike synthetic coloring
agents, betalains are also easily degraded, heat-labile and
low in stability due to their natural structure. Besides,
betalains possess antioxidation properties which are prone
to oxidation. Thus, prevention of oxidation which occurs
during extraction and storage is crucial. Stability
improvement by employing suitable additives may expand
the applicability of natural food colorants [3, 4].
Purple pitaya is well known as red dragon fruit due to its
deep bluish red appearance. Red dragon fruits or Pitaya
(Hylocereus spp.) are very high in fiber, low in calorie, and
rich in vitamin C, minerals, and chlorophyll. Red dragon
* Corresponding author:
sumattana.g@msu.ac.th (Sumattana Glangkarn)
Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/fph
Copyright 2015 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved

fruit weighs up to 1 kg and is a rich source of nutrients and

minerals such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3 and
vitamin C [5]. The reddish pigment in the dragon fruit seed
oil is also rich in polyunsaturated fats which benefit health on
excretion and body weight control. Red pulp and skin
produce the betalain that contains high level of antioxidant
activity. Antioxidant is a molecule that capable of slowing or
preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a
chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to
an oxidizing agent. Consequently, oxidation reactions can
produce free radicals, which start chain reactions that
damage cells. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions
by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other
oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves [6].
Currently red dragon fruit become popular since people
know about the nutritious value inside fruit. With high level
of antioxidant content and lower price in market, this fruit is
potential as a good alternative for natural antioxidant [7].
Jelly is commonly served as Thai desserts and is often
flavored with fruit juices or extracts. Jelly is strictly defined
as semisolid food made from not less than 45 parts by weight
of fruit juice ingredient to each 55 parts by weight of sugar.
This mixture is concentrated to not less than 65 percent
soluble solids [8]. The additions of fruits to jelly do not only
enhance the taste of the jelly itself, but also the healthy
values of jelly [9]. Red dragon fruit represent a significant
source of oxidants which could be beneficial if mix red
dragon fruit in jelly. Therefore, this study aimed to
investigate antioxidants of the red dragon pulp jelly and the
red dragon juice jelly mixing at the temperature 60C, 70C
and 80C, using the DPPH assay.

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Sumattana Glangkarn:

Antioxidant Activity in Red Dragon Fruit Jelly

2. Materials and Methods

The
anti-radical
power
measured
using
2,
2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH). DPPH radical
scavenging activity assay is a widely used method to
evaluate antioxidant activities in a relatively short time
compared with other methods. This assay measures the
ability of a sample to donate hydrogen to DPPH radical. The
increased amount of antioxidant in a given volume of fruit
extract is responsible for the increased reduction of the
DPPH solution [5].
The experiment was conducted in the laboratory of the
Faculty of Public Health, Mahasarakham University. The
Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) was collected from the
local market. The fully ripe healthy and fresh dragon fruit
was washed thoroughly with potable water and the skin was
removed by a knife. Then dragon fruit was blended by a
blending machine [10].
Processing of dragon fruit jelly
The jelly was prepared from red dragon pulp and red
dragon juice with standard formulation. Two jelly formulas
were mixed with equal amount 200 g sugar, 30 g agar, and
1000 ml water. Boiled water in a stainless pot, and then
added agar and sugar. The mixture was stirred until sugar
and agar completely dissolved. The heat was reduced at the
temperature 60C, then stirred 480 g red dragon pulp puree
into the jelly mixture. Poured the mixture into a jelly mold
and allowed to cool down, and then chill in a fridge for 20
minutes. Red dragon pulp jelly had been conducted the same
process for the temperature 70C and 80C. Processing of
red dragon juice jelly had been conducted similarly at the
three point temperature.
Sensory testing of red dragon fruit jelly

Red dragon fruit jellies were analyzed for sensory

characteristics. Sensory quality characteristics were
evaluated by 42 participants using a 9-point Hedonic scale.
The red dragon fruit jellies were evaluated for the color, taste,
smell, and overall favor acceptability.

3. Results and Discussion

Antioxidant analyses of red dragon fruit pulp and red
dragon fruit juice
The experiment revealed that antioxidant content in red
dragon fruit pulp was found to be higher than in red dragon
fruit juice. The jelly without red dragon fruit was used to be a
control sample in this experiment which was contained the
lowest level of antioxidants. The result of this study was
similar to the additional of white and red dragon fruit into
yogurt enhanced the milk fermentation rate and antioxidant
activity [9]. (Table 1)
Antioxidant analyses of red dragon pulp and red dragon
juice jellies at different temperature
Antioxidant content in both red dragon pulp and red
dragon juice jellies were found to be further reduced at
increased temperature. Red dragon pulp jelly and red dragon
juice jelly mixing at 60C contained antioxidant activities
higher than mixing at 70C and 80C. The result for each of
the sample, the mean result and SD values at the temperature
60C, 70C and 80C are shown in Table 2. Mean
percentages of antioxidants between red dragon pulp and red
dragon juice jellies at the same temperature were compared.
It appears that antioxidant of red dragon pulp jellies were
significantly higher than antioxidant of red dragon juice
jellies at all temperature.

Table 1. Antioxidants of red dragon fruit pulp and red dragon fruit juice
Percentages of antioxidants
Type of jelly

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Mean

S.D

Jelly without red dragon

48.8

50.7

49.3

49.6

0.9

Red dragon fruit pulp

92.0

94.4

92.5

92.9

1.2

Red dragon fruit juice

68.5

65.7

65.7

66.7

1.6

Table 2. Antioxidant of red dragon pulp and juice jellies at different temperature
Type of jellies

Percentages of antioxidants
60C

70C

80C

Sample 1

84.9

74.7

69.0

Sample 2

78.8

80.3

74.2

Sample 3

73.7

80.3

75.1

Mean (S.D)

79.2 (5.6)

78.4 (3.3)

72.8 (3.3)

Sample 1

49.3

55.9

51.6

Sample 2

60.6

57.3

55.9

Sample 3

62.9

58.2

55.4

Mean (S.D)

57.6 (7.3)

57.12 (1.2)

54.30 (2.3)

Red dragon pulp jelly

Red dragon juice jelly

Food and Public Health 2015, 5(5): 203-206

205

Table 3. The comparison of mean percentages of antioxidants between red dragon pulp and juice jellies
Mean percentages of
antioxidants
t-test

Mean
difference

95% CI of
difference

Temperature

Red dragon
pulp jelly

Red dragon
juice jelly

60C

79.2

57.6

4.1

0.025

21.6

6.8-36.4

70C

72.8

57.1

10.7

< 0.001

21.3

15.7-26.8

80C

72.8

54.3

7.9

0.001

18.5

12.0-24.9

p-value

Table 4.
Red dragon pulp jelly

Red dragon juice jelly

Mean

Mean

S.D

S.D

p-value

Color

6.9

1.7

6.9

1.6

0.89

Smell

6.7

1.3

6.7

1.7

0.94

Flavor

6.9

1.6

6.7

1.3

0.61

Overall acceptability

7.1

1.7

6.7

1.4

0.29

In similar fashion, vitamin-C content in red dragon fruit

was further reduced in jellies prepared from dragon fruit
juice because most of the vitamin-C present in the pulp was
destroyed during long heating at high temperature [10].
During processing of dragon fruit jelly, heating temperature
was shown the important factor on betalain stability and the
half-life of betacyanin extracts were decreased at higher
temperature [11-12]. (Table 3)

laboratories and experimental materials. We would also like

to express our gratitude to lab assistants, technicians and
senior project students for their assistance in lab assays.

Sensory evaluation of the red dragon fruit jelly

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The samples of red dragon fruit jelly were subjected to

sensory evaluation using the 9 point Hedonic scales. Thirty
judges evaluated the color, smell, flavor and overall
acceptability of different formula are presented in table 4.
There was no significant difference in scales between red
dragon pulp and red dragon juice jellies for all sensory
aspects.

4. Conclusions
Antioxidant content in both red dragon pulp and red
dragon juice jellies were lower than red dragon fresh pulp
and red dragon fresh juice. However, it is clear that the
addition of red dragon pulp and red dragon juice into jelly
enhanced the antioxidant activity in jelly compared to the
antioxidant activity in plain jelly. The appropriate
temperature for adding red dragon pulp puree or juice into
the jelly mixture was recommended at the temperature 60C,
because the jellies contained antioxidant activities higher
than mixing at 70C and 80C. The current study indicates
that consuming red dragon fruit jelly as part of healthy
desserts would increase nutritious rather than eat plain jelly.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to thank Faculty of Public Health,
Mahasarakham University, Thailand, for supporting the

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