desenvolvimento photos on Flickr

A pitaia,[1] também conhecida como fruta-do-dragão,[2] é o fruto de várias espécies de cactos epífitos dos gêneros Hylocereus e Selenicereus, nativas de regiões da América Central e México, também cultivadas em Israel, no Brasil e na China. O termo "pitaia" significa "fruta escamosa". Existem três espécies, todas muito comercializadas pelos seus frutos, que lhes dão os nomes: a pitaia-branca (rosa por fora e branca por dentro), a pitaia-amarela (amarela por fora e branca por dentro) e a pitaia-vermelha (avermelhada por dentro e por fora). A planta da pitaia só floresce à noite (com grandes flores brancas), pelo que as suas flores abarcam o rol das várias plantas chamadas de flor-da-noite.[3]

Nomes comuns:

O fruto da Hylocereus undatus dá, ainda, pelo nome de fruta-dragão.[3] As flores da mesma planta, dão ainda pelos nomes de rainha-de-honolulu e rainha-da-noite.[3]

Clima e solo:

A pitaia pode ser cultivada de 30 até 700 metros acima do nível do mar. Quanto às condições edafoclimáticas, carece de climas razoavelmente quentes, mostrando um desenvolvimento ótimo em zonas em que a média das temperaturas se situe entre os 18 e os 26 °C.[2][4] Do que toca à precipitação, os valores mais adequados rondam os 500 e os 700 milímetros de chuva. Privilegia os solos ricos em matéria orgânica, com boa drenagem, de textura franco-arenosa e onde não haja alagamentos.[4]

Fruta:

Existem três variedades, todas com a pele folhosa:

Hylocereus polyrhizus, vermelha por dentro com pele rosa

Hylocereus megalanthus, branca por dentro com pele amarela

Hylocereus undatus, branca por dentro com pele rosa

A fruta pode pesar entre 50-1000 gramas e seu interior, que é ingerido cru, é doce e tem alto nível de calorias. Da fruta se faz suco ou vinho; as flores podem ser ingeridas ou usadas para fazer chá. As sementes se assemelham às do gergelim e se encontram dispersas no fruto cárneo. A quantidade de espinhos não é significativa.

Utilização:

As pitaias de casca vermelha, particularmente, são grande fonte de vitamina A.

Pitaias são ricas em fibras e minerais, principalmente zinco e ferro. As vermelhas são ricas em ferro, as amarelas em zinco.

As sementes são pobres em gordura poli-insaturada, e as vermelhas em particular não possuem gordura saturada.[5]

Pitaias também possuem quantidades significativas de antioxidantes, que previnem os radicais livres.[carece de fontes]

Em Taiwan, diabéticos usam a fruta como substituto para o arroz como fonte de fibras.[carece de fontes]

Composição nutricional:

Pitaia vermelha polpa branca

100g

Acido ascórbico (Vitamina C)25.0 mg

Cálcio6.0 mg

Calorias40.1

Carboidratos9.2g

Proteínas0.15g

Fibra0.3g

Fósforo19.0 mg

Gorduras0.1g

Ferro0.4 mg

Niacina0.2 mg

Referência:[6]

Referências:

Infopédia. «pitaia | Definição ou significado de pitaia no Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa». Infopédia - Dicionários Porto Editora. Consultado em 11 de março de 2021

↑ «Pitaia, a fruta do dragão!». dica.madeira.gov.pt. Consultado em 11 de março de 2021

↑ Duarte, Amílcar (2020). 4º Simpósio Nacional de Fruticultura (PDF). Col: Actas Portuguesas de Horticultura, N.º 32. Lisboa: [s.n.] p. 245-250. 475 páginas. ISBN 978-972-8936-35-8

↑ Le Bellec, F. (2006). Pitahaya (Hylocereus spp) - a new fruit crop, a market with a future. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 237-250. doi:10.1051/fruits:2006021

Ariffin, Abdul Azis; Bakar, Jamilah; Tan, Chin Ping; Rahman, Russly Abdul; Karim, Roselina & Loi, Chia Chun (2008). Essential fatty acids of pitaya (dragon fruit) seed oil.. Food Chemistry.

«Pitaia». Lider Agronomia

Following, a text, in English, from Wikipedia, 'The free Encyclopedia.

Pitaya

For the city in Thailand, see Pattaya. For the Thai weightlifter, see Pitaya Tibnoke.

A pitaya (/pɪˈtaɪ.ə/) or pitahaya (/ˌpɪtəˈhaɪ.ə/) is the fruit of several different cactus species indigenous to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.[1][2] Pitaya is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the genus Selenicereus (formerly Hylocereus), both in the family Cactaceae.[3] The common name in English – dragon fruit – derives from the leather-like skin and scaly spikes on the fruit exterior. Depending on the variety, pitaya fruits may have sweet- or sour-tasting flesh that can be red, white, or yellow in color.

Vernacular names:

These fruits are commonly known in English as "dragon fruit", a name used since 1963, apparently resulting from the leather-like skin and prominent scaly spikes on the fruit exterior.[4] The fruit is often designated as "Vietnamese dragon fruit" as Vietnam is the lead exporter.[5] The fruit may also be known as a strawberry pear.[2][6]

The names pitahaya and pitaya derive from Mexico, and pitaya roja in Central America and northern South America, possibly relating to pitahaya for names of tall cacti species with flowering fruit.[2][7]

Geography:

Pitaya or dragon fruit is native to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.[1][2] The dragon fruit is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world.[1][2]

Varieties:

Stenocereus

Stenocereus fruit (sour pitayas) are a variety that is commonly eaten in the arid regions of the Americas. They are more sour and refreshing, with juicier flesh and a stronger taste.

The sour pitaya or pitaya agria (S. gummosus) in the Sonoran Desert has been an important food source for indigenous peoples of the Americas. The Seri people of northwestern Mexico still harvest the fruit, and call the plant ziix is ccapxl "thing whose fruit is sour".

The fruit of related species, such as S. queretaroensis and the dagger cactus or pitaya de mayo (S. griseus),[3]: 223–225 are also locally important foods. The fruit of the organ pipe cactus (S. thurberi, called ool by the Seris) is the pitaya dulce "sweet pitaya".

Dragon fruit, Selenicereus:

Selenicereus undatus (Pitaya blanca or white-fleshed pitaya, also known as Hylocereus undatus) has pink-skinned fruit with white flesh. This is the most commonly seen "dragon fruit".

Selenicereus costaricensis (Pitaya roja or red-fleshed pitaya, also known as Hylocereus costaricensis, and possibly incorrectly as Hylocereus polyrhizus) has red-skinned fruit with red flesh.

Selenicereus megalanthus (Pitaya amarilla or yellow pitaya, also known as Hylocereus megalanthus) has yellow-skinned fruit with white flesh.

The fruit normally weighs from 150 to 600 grams (51⁄2 to 21 oz); some may reach 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz).[8] Early imports from Colombia to Australia were designated "Hylocereus ocampensis" (or "Cereus repandus", the red fruit) and "Cereus triangularis" (supposedly, the yellow fruit).

Cultivation:

After a thorough cleaning of the seeds from the pulp of the fruit, the seeds may be stored when dried. The ideal fruit is unblemished and overripe.

Seeds grow well in a compost or potting soil mix – even as a potted indoor plant. Pitaya cacti usually germinate after between 11 and 14 days after shallow planting. As they are cacti, overwatering is a concern for home growers. As their growth continues, these climbing plants will find something to climb on, which can involve putting aerial roots down from the branches in addition to the basal roots. Once the plant reaches a mature 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) in weight, the plant may flower.[clarification needed]

Commercial plantings can be done at high density with between 1,100 and 1,350 per hectare (445 and 546/acre). Plants can take up to 60 months/260 weeks to come into full commercial production, at which stage yields of 20 to 30 metric tons (22 to 33 short tons) can be expected.[9]

Pitaya flowers bloom overnight and usually wilt by the evening.[10] They rely on nocturnal pollinators such as bats or moths for fertilization. Self-fertilization will not produce fruit in some species and while cross-breeding has resulted in several "self-fertile" varieties, cross-pollinating with a second, genetically distinct plant of the same species generally increases fruit set and quality. This limits the capability of home growers to produce the fruit. However, the plants can flower between three and six times per year depending on growing conditions. Like other cacti, if a healthy piece of the stem is broken off, it may take root in the soil and become its own plant.

The plants can endure temperatures up to 40 °C (104 °F) and short periods of frost, but will not survive long exposure to freezing temperatures. The cacti thrive most in USDA zones 10–11, but may survive outdoors in zone 9a or 9b.[2][11]

Selenicereus has adapted to live in dry tropical climates with a moderate amount of rain. In numerous regions, it has escaped cultivation to become a weed and is classified as an invasive weed in some countries.[1]

Pests and diseases:

Stems and fruits are susceptible to several diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, a nematode, and a virus.[12] Overwatering or excessive rainfall can cause the flowers to drop and fruit to rot.[13] The bacterium Xanthomonas campestris causes the stems to rot. Dothiorella fungi can cause brown spots on the fruit. Other fungi known to infect pitaya include Botryosphaeria dothidea, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Bipolaris cactivora.[12]

Uses

Culinary:

The fruit's texture is sometimes likened to that of the kiwifruit because of its black, crunchy seeds. The seed oil contains the fatty acids linoleic acid and linolenic acid.[14] Dragon fruit is used to flavor and color juices and alcoholic beverages, such as "Dragon's Blood Punch" and the "Dragotini".[15] The flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea.[16]

The red and purple colors of some Selenicereus fruits are due to betacyanins, a family of pigments that includes betanin, the same substance that gives beets, Swiss chard, and amaranth their red color.[17][18]

Nutrients:

The USDA FoodData Central database published their analysis of the nutritional contents of raw Pitaya in 2022.[19] The majority of the fruit by weight is water (87g out of 100g). One serving of 100-gram (31⁄2-ounce) provides 240 kilojoules (57 kilocalories) of food energy.

The USDA also reports one limited product label entry from a manufacturer of a branded product, showing that a 100-gram (31⁄2-ounce) reference serving of dried pitaya provides 1,100 kilojoules (264 kilocalories) of food energy, 82% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and 11% of the Daily Value each for vitamin C and calcium[20].[dubious – discuss]

Pitaya, Raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy240 kJ (57 kcal)

Carbohydrates

15.2 g

Sugars9.75 g

Dietary fiber3.1 g

Fat

0.14 g

Protein

0.36 g

VitaminsQuantity

%DV†

Folate (B9)

2%

7 μg

Choline

1%

5.1 mg

Vitamin C

5%

4.3 mg

Vitamin K

4%

4.4 μg

MineralsQuantity

%DV†

Calcium

1%

9 mg

Iron

1%

0.18 mg

Magnesium

2%

7 mg

Phosphorus

2%

12 mg

Potassium

2%

116 mg

Sodium

0%

1 mg

Other constituentsQuantity

Water84 g

Link to USDA Database entry

Units

μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams

IU = International units

†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

Source: USDA FoodData Central

Seed oils:

The fatty acid compositions of the seed oils of Selenicereus costaricensis, syn. Hylocereus costaricensis (red-fleshed pitaya) and Selenicereus undatus, syn. Hylocereus undatus (white-fleshed pitaya) were similar: myristic acid (negligible), palmitic acid (17%), stearic acid (5%), palmitoleic acid (about 1%), oleic acid (22%), cis-vaccenic acid (3%), linoleic acid (50%), and α-linolenic acid (1%).[14]

Gallery

Pitaya tree

Plantation in Naozhou Island

Nocturnal flowering

Yellow S. megalanthus

Red S. costaricensis

Jus buah naga, purple pitaya juice, Indonesia

Red, yellow and white fruits

Dress for a folk dance called Flor de Pitahaya "Pitahaya Flower" from Baja California Sur displayed at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City.

Tags desenvolvimento

View allAll Photos Tagged desenvolvimento