UV Protective Wound Healing Ointment Enriched with Dragon Fruit Extract

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.), also known as Pitaya, is a tropical cactus plant native to Central America, now widely cultivated in southeast Asia, including countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and part of India. It thrives in warm, dry climates with well-drained soil and requires minimal water, making it suitable for semi-arid regions. Dragon fruit is renowned for its vibrant appearance and rich nutritional profile, containing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and betalains. These constituents exhibit potent antioxidant, anti- inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, making dragon fruit a promising natural source for medicinal applications. This study aims to formulate and evaluate a wound healing ointment incorporation dragon fruit extract. The ointment was prepared using an ethanolic extract of dragon fruit pulp, integrated into a suitable base, and assessed for its wound healing potential. Result revealed that the dragon fruit-based ointment significantly accelerated wound contraction, enhanced tissue regeneration, and reduced inflammation compared to the control group. The combination of Dragon fruit extract and controlled UV exposure accelerates. Thus, dragon fruit extract holds considerable promise as a natural, cost- effective ingredient in topical wound healing products, encouraging further research and clinical evaluations.