Abstract
This study characterized the peel extracts of Cucumis melo L. varieties and evaluated their in vitro prebiotic-like activity supporting the growth of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Melon peel extracts were prepared and freeze-dried for analyzing sugar composition, enzymatic digestibility, and probiotic stimulation in various sample extracts. Among the tested varieties, cantaloupe peel exhibited the highest concentration of non-digestible polysaccharides (29.20 ± 1.0 mg/g) and significantly enhanced L. delbrueckii and B. bifidum growth to 9.81 ± 0.04 and 9.79 ± 0.01 log CFU/g. Total polyphenol content was greatest in cantaloupe (175 mg/100 g), followed by galia (173 mg/100 g) and honeydew (121 mg/100 g). FTIR and (1)H-NMR analyses showed the presence of polysaccharides, sugars, polyphenols, and other bioactive functional groups. Hydrolysis resistance to acid and α-amylase was 9.52% and 34.67% for cantaloupe, and 6.12% and 30.65% for honeydew, respectively. Overall, melon peel extracts demonstrated substantial prebiotic-like activity, attributed to their high levels of non-digestible polysaccharides, reducing sugars, phenolic compounds. These findings identify melon peel as a promising, sustainable source of bioactive ingredients for gut health promoting functional foods.