Unveiling the nutritional composition of dragon fruit during developmental stages using UHPLC and GC–MS/MS analysis

Dragon fruit, a newly introduced crop to the current agroclimatic conditions, is gaining popularity among consumers and farmers. However, its adoption remains hesitant due to limited information on the changes in nutritional composition during fruit development. This systematic research investigates the nutritional changes during the developmental process of two dragon fruit species, Hylocereus undatus and Hylocereus costaricensis, using UHPLC, GC, and GC–MS/MS instruments. Semi-quantitative GC analysis reveals that the seeds of H. costaricensis and H. undatus fruits contain 18 and 12 fatty acids, respectively. The mature fruit pulp had four fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and five water-soluble B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, and B9. Seven organic acids were identified and quantified, with malonic acid (66.42 ± 2.64 mg/100 g) being predominant in H. costaricensis and citric acid (85.62 ± 0.15 mg/100 g) in H. undatus. Key findings include the presence of sucrose in low amount and accumulation of the sugar alcohols mannitol and myo-inositol in fruit pulp during the fruit development. These findings provide insights into optimal harvest timing and highlight the nutritional potential of dragon fruit as a functional food.