Analysis of the Phytochemical Composition of Pomegranate Fruit Juices, Peels and Kernels: A Comparative Study on Four Cultivars Grown in Southern Italy.

Anna Montefusco,Zoltán Pék,Lajos Helyes,Gabriella Piro,Francesco Paolo Fanizzi,Giovanni Mita,Miriana Durante,Riadh Ilahy,Marcello Salvatore Lenucci,Monica De Caroli,Danilo Migoni

doi:10.3390/plants10112521

Abstract

The increasing popularity of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), driven by the awareness of its nutraceutical properties and excellent environmental adaptability, is promoting a global expansion of its production area. This investigation reports the variability in the weight, moisture, pH, total soluble solids, carbohydrates, organic acids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, antioxidant activities, and element composition of different fruit parts (juices, peels, and kernels) from four (Ako, Emek, Kamel, and Wonderful One) of the most widely cultivated Israeli pomegranate varieties in Salento (South Italy). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic characterization of different fruit parts from pomegranate cultivars grown simultaneously in the same orchard and subjected to identical agronomic and environmental conditions. Significant genotype-dependent variability was observed for many of the investigated parameters, though without any correlation among fruit parts. The levels of phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids of all samples were higher than the literature-reported data, as was the antioxidant activity. This is likely due to positive interactions among genotypes, the environment, and good agricultural practices. This study also confirms that pomegranate kernels and peels are, respectively, rich sources of punicic acid and phenols together, with several other bioactive molecules. However, the variability in their levels emphasizes the need for further research to better exploit their agro-industrial potential and thereby increase juice-production chain sustainability. This study will help to assist breeders and growers to respond to consumer and industrial preferences and encourage the development of biorefinery strategies for the utilization of pomegranate by-products as nutraceuticals or value-added ingredients for custom-tailored supplemented foods.

Highlights

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) belongs to the olygotypic Punicaceae
The aim of this work was to evaluate a few attributes related to fruit quality, as well as the content of some classes of bioactive molecules (phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acids (AsA) and dehydroascorbic acids (DAsA)), and 25 chemical elements of the juice, peels, and kernels of four different Israeli pomegranate cultivars (Ako, Emek, Kamel, and Wonderful one) grown in Southern Italy
No clear relationships were evidenced between the concentrations of each analyzed class of compounds within the different fruit parts

Summary

Introduction

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) belongs to the olygotypic Punicaceae Presl) family, are related to the Lythraceae, but distinguished by most authors based on some morphological features. These include, mostly, the fusion of the ovary with the receptacle and the characteristic structure of the fruit, known as balausta (Figure 1). The balausta is a multilocular multiseeds fruit, which develops from an inferior syncarpous ovary. Its pericarp, comprising the reddish exocarp (rind) and the external part of the mesocarp (albedo), is tough and leathery. The inner spongy mesocarp forms yellowish, papery, plate-like infoldings (locular septa) covering the individual groups of tightly packed seeds, improperly known as arils. The calyx is persistent and shaped like a crown

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