Abstract
The purple-fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus costaricensis) is rapidly emerging as a ‘superfruit’ due to its striking color, exotic appearance, refreshing taste, exceptional nutritional and medicinal benefits, vast adaptability, and ease of cultivation. The fruit undergoes dynamic color transformations and changes in the physical attributes throughout its maturation stages, which are influenced by species and growth conditions. The study comprehensively examined color parameters and their correlation with peel characteristics and fruit and pulp firmness in the purple-fleshed dragon fruit grown under humid tropical conditions. The detailed analysis of color parameters, such as L*, a*, b*, and C* values, and hue angle, provides a clear depiction of the fruit's progression from green to purplish-red hues during maturation, with a distinct shift in color intensity and purity. The asynchronous color transition in the fruit and pulp highlights the complex nature of fruit maturation, with the pulp exhibiting an earlier color change at 25 days after flowering, followed by fruit peel at 27 days after flowering. Additionally, the investigation documented a reduction in peel thickness, peel percentage, and firmness during fruit development that emphasized the importance of these parameters in determining optimal harvest maturity. By elucidating these changes and their interrelationships, the research offers valuable insights for optimizing the harvest with better quality and marketability of purple-fleshed dragon fruit.