Bioactive profiling of valorized yoghurt incorporated with dragon fruit peel powder using LC-MS metabolomics

Abstract

Foodomics have emerged as an intriguing tool for the identification of the functional components in different fermented foods. Meanwhile, utilization of fruit processing waste for the development of composite dairy products has also become popular in the food industry. The present study delineates with the optimization of valorized yoghurt with incorporated dragon fruit peel powder (DPP) to enhance the functionality of the food. The formulation having 3% DPP was found best acceptable on the scale of sensory, textural and colour value analysis. The optimized yoghurt was showing total phenolic content of 405±2.66 mg GAE/100 g, total flavonoid content of 242±0.06 mg CE/100 g and antioxidant activity of 52.16% DPPH inhibition. Furthermore, an untargeted LC-MS omics have highlighted the presence of 34 major bioactive compounds with multifaceted functional properties. Linoleoyl glycerol, flaviolin, kaempferol coumarate, phenylacetylglycine, fatty acids, amino acids and many derivatives were covered in the metabolome in the RT range from 0.9 to 28 min. Numerous metabolites are known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-CVD, anti-oxidant activities. This study has shown the enhanced bioactivity of the yoghurt post valorization which could confers a broad range of health benefits to the consumers. Additionally, functional composite foods can be developed utilizing processing waste and by-products to bring sustainability. © 2025 The Author(s)