Application of enzyme in fruit juice clarification has been known widely in fruit processing industries. Clarification of red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) juice by enzymatic treatment has been done to obtain stable juice. The aim of this work was to observe the effectiveness of two commercial enzymes i.e. Pectinex CLEAR and Pectinex Ultra SP-L in clarifying red pitaya juices. The effects of both enzymes on some physicochemical properties of red pitaya juices were obtained. Enzymation leads to the juice with higher yield, higher acidity, and higher total soluble solids. It also increased the juice clarity and colour appearance. However, enzymation reduced the juice pH and viscosity. This study demonstrated the effect of pectinases application on several physicochemical properties of red pitaya juices with an attempt to obtain some interesting and valuable data for the fruit processing industries. The data obtained are helpful for the optimization of red pitaya juices production as a step towards promoting the potential of red pitaya juices as functional beverages.

Keywords: fruit juice clarification, red pitaya juice, Hylocereus polyrhizus, enzymatic treatment, physicochemical