Genus Hylocereus: Beneficial phytochemicals, nutritional importance, and biological relevance—A review

The genus Hylocereus (family Cactaceae) includes about 16 species. Now its reputation is spreading everywhere in the world due to its fruit (pitaya or pitahaya or dragon fruit), which is one of the most popular and widely used functional foods in the world. The fruit is a wealthy provenance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. The ethno‐pharmacological history of this genus indicated that it possesses antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, hepato‐protective, antihyperlipidemic, antidiabetic, and wound healing activities. Furthermore, it has been used for the treatment of cough, asthma, hyperactivity, tuberculosis, bronchitis, mumps, diabetes, and cervical lymph node tuberculosis. Different chemical constituents have been reported from this genus as betalains, flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, triterpenes, sterols, fatty acids, etc. The current review focuses on the uses, botanical characterization, chemical constituents, nutritional importance, biological activities, and safety of Hylocereus species. Also, biosynthetic pathways of betalains have been discussed. Practical applications Pitaya fruit is one of the most known fruit that is commercially grown in different countries of the world for its nutritional advantages. It has acquired a wide acceptance for its pharmacological actions against a variety of ailments. The present review revealed that pitaya contains various bioactive phytoconstituents which might participate directly or indirectly in their highlighted biological effects. Therefore, these compounds can be taken into account as favorable candidates for the development of effective and novel pharmaceutical leads. Deep phytochemical studies of pitaya fruit and its pharmacological effects, especially the mechanism of action of its constituents to clarify the relation between traditional uses and pharmacological activities will obviously be the focus of further research.