FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF DRAGON FRUIT (HYLOCEREUS UNDATUS) ENERGY BALLS AS A NUTRACEUTICAL FUNCTIONAL FOOD

Sakshi Vishnu Bhagwat*, Dr. Sachin V. Datkhile, Kalyani Kailas Bankar

The use of dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) as a functional ingredient is gaining increased attention due to its high content of phenolic compounds, fiber, and antioxidant properties. It has been established that the peel and other parts of dragon fruit possess strong antioxidant properties, thus making them suitable as ingredients for a range of applications besides the fresh fruit consumption.[1,2] At the same time, snack food products incorporating fruits and vegetables have been reported as a way of providing functional ingredients while still ensuring product acceptability.[3,4] The present study seeks to develop energy balls from dragon fruit pulp with the assessment of their proximate, physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and sensory characteristics. The development included formulating three formulations, differing in the proportion of fruit, oats, dates, nuts, and natural binders used. The products were subjected to analysis of moisture content, ash content, protein content, fat content, fiber content, carbohydrates, pH value, water activity, texture profile analysis, total phenolic content, DPPH free radicals scavenging ability, and sensory evaluation. Based on the results, the proposed optimal formulation is expected to be nutritionally rich, have good physical structure, and favorable sensory characteristics, following the general trend of better performance when using moderate]. The increased attention paid to dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) can be attributed to its high content of dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemical antioxidants, which makes it useful in the preparation of functional foods.[1,2] Considering the current trend towards functional food development for the production of healthy snacks, this research was conducted with an objective to develop dragon fruit energy balls as nutraceutical functional food. In accordance with the common practices for the formulation of highly nutritious snacks, the product was produced using dragon fruit pulp/powder incorporated in the combination of oats, dates, nuts, and seeds as a nutritional matrix.[3,4] Various formulations of the product were prepared and analyzed for proximate composition, physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, texture, sensory evaluation, and shelf life. It was expected that the developed dragon fruit energy balls would have enhanced nutritional value due to increased dietary fiber, natural sugar sources, and bioactive substances from dragon fruit.[5,6] As the health-promoting effects of betacyanins and phenolic compounds of dragon fruit have been proved, the inclusion of an antioxidant assay was considered relevant.[7,8] A sensory evaluation test was conducted to evaluate which formulation was more acceptable based on appearance, flavor, aroma, texture, and liking. The importance of sensory properties for the success of functional snacks is well documented in literature, where consumer acceptability was found to be important.[3,9] A storage study was also conducted to check if the chosen formulation was stable during storage.