UTILIZATION OF RED DRAGON FRUIT PEEL (Hylocereus Polyrhizus) AS A FUNCTIONAL FOOD INNOVATION FOR DIABETES MELLITUS PREVENTION
Keywords:
Dragon fruit peel, diabetes mellitus, functional food, community empowerment, anthocyaninAbstract
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic non-communicable disease with a rapidly increasing global prevalence and significant economic burden. Preventive strategies through functional food innovations are urgently required. Red dragon fruit peel (Hylocereus polyrhizus), often discarded as waste, is rich in anthocyanins, flavonoids, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber with strong antioxidant properties. This community service program was conducted in Gampong Klieng Cot Aron, Aceh Besar, aiming to improve public knowledge on diabetes prevention and provide training in processing dragon fruit peel into hygienic syrup with economic potential. A total of 25 participants were involved in health education sessions followed by practical syrup-making training. Pre-test and post-test evaluations revealed a significant knowledge increase of 51%, with the highest improvement (+60%) on the benefits of dragon fruit peel for diabetes prevention. Beyond knowledge enhancement, the program fostered practical skills, waste utilization, and small-scale entrepreneurship. The results demonstrate that functional food–based interventions can contribute to health promotion, local empowerment, and sustainable economic development
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