Prebiotic Potential of Dragon fruit (Hylocereus costaricensis) Peel and Pulp on Lactobacillus acidophilus

Prebiotics are non-digestible food components that selectively stimulate the growth and activity of beneficial gut microbiota, thereby promoting host health. This study evaluated the prebiotic potential of Hylocereus costaricensis peel and pulp by assessing their effects on the functional properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus cultured in freshly prepared MRS broth. The control consisted of L. acidophilus grown without the addition of peel or pulp extracts.Autoaggregation increased in a time-dependent manner from 1 to 5 hours across all treatments. The highest autoaggregation was observed in peel-treated cells, ranging from 46.10 ± 0.46% to 80.12 ± 0.35%, followed by pulp-treated cells (32.10 ± 0.30% to 63.25 ± 0.25%), and the control (23.66 ± 0.32% to 59.10 ± 0.46%). This indicates enhanced cell-to-cell adhesion in the presence of peel extract. Similarly, peel extract demonstrated significantly higher coaggregation with Escherichia coli (63.02 ± 0.18%) compared with pulp (50.15 ± 0.17%) and control (42.23 ± 0.02%), suggesting improved antagonistic interaction against pathogenic bacteria.In addition, cell surface hydrophobicity was highest in peel-treated cells (61.24 ± 0.50%), indicating improved adhesion capability and probiotic potential. Autolysis was lowest in peel-treated cells (17.75 ± 0.32%), reflecting enhanced cellular stability and membrane integrity. These functional improvements collectively suggest that peel extract positively modulates probiotic behavior more effectively than pulp.Overall, H. costaricensis peel exhibited superior prebiotic potential compared to pulp by significantly enhancing multiple probiotic functional attributes. These findings highlight its promise as a sustainable, value-added ingredient for the development of functional foods aimed at improving gut health.