Muhammad Syahmi Khairul Azman Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
Dragon fruit grows on the Hylocereus cactus, also known as the Honolulu queen, whose flowers only open at night.The plant is native to southern Mexico and Central America. Today, it is grown all over the world.It goes by many names, including pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear.The two most common types have bright red skin with green scales that resemble a dragon hence the name. Usually when people consume this fruit, they discard the peels as it is considered a waste but it is actually quite beneficial. Lots of bioactive compounds can be found such as flavonoids, phenolics and betacyanins. These compounds can be described as antioxidant agents. Antioxidants help in neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. It also helps prevent chronic disease such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders. By using specialised tools like Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), functional groups related to antioxidant activity in plant-based material can be identified. This study aims to utilize FTIR to characterize the antioxidant components of powdered dragon fruit peel, contributing to its potential application in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.