PDF《Sains Malaysiana 41(1)(2012): 41–4》

1999 in Setiawan, Johor and Kuala Pilah regions. The national acreage of pitaya production in

2006 was 927.4 ha with a total production of 2,534.2 tons (Cheah &

Zulkarnain 2008). The '

scales'

or bracts on the surface of dragon fruit give it a '

dragon-like'

appearance (Hoa et al. 2006). The peel of the fruit is usually red, and the pulp is purple-red with numerous small, soft seeds (Nerd et al. 1999). The peels are

42 texturizer and stabilizer. Pectin is usually added in jams and jellies as a gelling agent. It has also been used as a fat substitute in spreads, ice-cream and salad dressings. In terms of nutrition, pectin has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol fractions, which is beneficial for human health (Liu et al. 2006).According to the FAO (1969), pectin is considered to be a safe additive that can be taken daily without limits. Pectin can be obtained from many sources with a variation in the percentage yield. Commercial pectins are primarily extracted from citrus peels and apple pomace using a........