Pomegranate: Botany, Horticulture, Breeding

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a nutrient dense food rich in beneficial phytochemicals. The aim of this study is to investigate and to determine antioxidant contents from local and highly consumed pomegranate variety called ‘Gabsi’. Peels, seeds, leaves and flowers were used to quantify total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and hydrolysable tannins. Antioxidants contents were as follows: peel > flower > leaf > seed.Total polyphenols contents from peels were 85.60 ± 4.87 mg gallic acid equivalents per g dry weight (mg GAE/g DW), flavonoids (51.52 ± 8.14 mg rutin equivalents per g DW (mg RE/g DW), anthocyanins (102.2 ± 16.4 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents per g DW (mg CGE/g DW) and hydrolysable tannins (139.63 ± 4.25 mg tannic acid equivalent per g of DW (mg TAE/g DW). High free radical scavenging activity is reported in peels and flowers. Effective concentration at 50% (EC50) was 3.88 ± 0.33 µg/ml (peels) and 4.55 ± 0.97 µg/ml (flowers). Antioxidant capacity value was respectively 7.50 ± 0.83 Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) mg/g DW (peels) and 6.39 ± 0.83 TEAC mg/g DW (flowers). Less important values were obtained from leaves (4.16 ± 1.35 TEAC mg/g DW) and seeds (1.10 ± 0.23 TEAC mg/g DW). Peels and flowers extract exhibited higher activities than seeds and leaves. All of these findings implied that bioactive compounds from pomegranate peels, flowers, leaves and seeds might be potential resources for the development of antioxidant function dietary foods. Extraction process of whole fruits may provide a commercial pomegranate juice with high antioxidants and consequently high usefulness antioxidant activities.

	 

	Key words: Pomegranate fruit and leaves extracts, polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, total tannins, antioxidant activity.

Total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of pomegranate peel, seed, leaf and flower

Physico-chemical and textural quality attributes of pomegranate cultivars (Punica granatum L.) grown in the Sultanate of Oman

Pomegranate biology and biotechnology: A review

This article aims to determine the phenolic, tocopherol contents, and antioxidant capacities from fruits (juices, peels, and seed oils) of 6 Tunisian pomegranate ecotypes. Total anthocyanins were determined by a differential pH method. Hydrolyzable tannins were determined with potassium iodate. The tocopherol (α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol) contents were, respectively, 165.77, 107.38, and 27.29 mg/100 g from dry seed. Four phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in pomegranate peel and pulp using the high-performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet method: 2 hydroxybenzoic acids (gallic and ellagic acids) and 2 hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic and p-coumaric acids). Juice, peel, and seed oil antioxidants were confirmed by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) methods. The highest values were recorded in peels with 25.63 mmol trolox equivalent/100 g and 22.08 mmol TE/100 g for FRAP and ORAC assay, respectively. Results showed that the antioxidant potency of pomegranate extracts was correlated with their phenolic compound content. In particular, the highest correlation was reported in peels. High correlations were also found between peel hydroxybenzoic acids and FRAP ORAC antioxidant capacities. Identified tocopherols seem to contribute in major part to the antioxidant activity of seed oil. The results implied that bioactive compounds from the peel might be potential resources for the development of antioxidant function dietary food.

Antioxidant capacities of phenolic compounds and tocopherols from Tunisian pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruits.

Characterization of Tunisian pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars using amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis

Thirty pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) accessions were studied to determine the overall degree of polymorphism and to detect similarities among genotypes. PCA and cluster analysis showed a considerable phenotypic and genetic diversity in the local pomegranate germplasm. Some polyclonal varieties were identified and cases of homonymy were detected. The geographic origin was not a determinant criterion for cultivars clustering. Parameters with high discriminating values were those related to fruit size and color and juice characteristics. Factors affecting pomegranate germplasm diversity are discussed.

Diversity of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) germplasm in Tunisia

This study characterises the genetic variability of fig, Ficus carica L., using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. It compares the efficiency and utility of the two techniques in detecting variation and establishing genetic relationships among Tunisian fig cultivars. Our results show that using both marker systems, the Tunisian fig germ plasm is characterised by having a large genetic diversity at the deoxyribonucleic acid level, as most of AFLP bands were detected and all SSR markers were polymorphic. In fact, 351 (342 polymorphic) and 57 (57 polymorphic) bands were detected using AFLP and SSR primers, respectively. SSR markers were the most polymorphic with an average polymorphic information content value of 0.94, while AFLP markers showed the highest effective multiplex ratio (56.9) and marker index (45.2). The effective marker index was recorded highest (4.19) for AFLP markers and lowest (0.70) for the SSR ones. Our results demonstrate that (1) independent as well as combined analyses of cluster analyses of SSR and AFLP fragments showed that cultivars are clustered independently from their geographical origin, horticultural classifications and tree sex; (2) the analysis of molecular variance allowed the partitioning of genetic variation within and among fig groups and showed greater variation within groups and (3) AFLP and SSR markers datasets showed positive correlation. This study suggests the SSR and AFLP markers are suitable for diversity analysis and cultivars fingerprinting. An understanding of the genetic diversity and population structure of F. carica in Tunisia can also provide insight into the conservation and management of this species.

Comparative Assessment of SSR and AFLP Markers for Evaluation of Genetic Diversity and Conservation of Fig, Ficus carica L., Genetic Resources in Tunisia

Juices made from fruits of 30 Tunisian accessions of pomegranate were studied for their organic acids, sugars, and anthocyanin contents, using high performance liquid chromatography. Among the detected organic acids, malic acid was the major one (>50%) followed by citric acid (>22%), while among sugars, fructose and glucose were most present in pomegranate juice contributing 53.9 and 43.4% of the total sugar content, respectively. The total anthocyanin content ranged from 9–115 mg per litre of juice with the following ranges of the six compounds found: cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside (3.1–74.4 mg/L), delphinidin-3-glucoside (0.7–22.0 mg/L), cyanidin-3-glucoside (0.8–21.0 mg/L), pelargonidin-3-glucoside (0.5–16.1 mg/L), pelargonidin-3,5-diglucoside (0.0–11.8 mg/L), and delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside (0.0–5.4 mg/L). Based on the analyzed parameters, cluster analysis allowed grouping cultivars into two main clusters. One was made of sour cultivars and the second of the sweet ones. Principle component and cluster analy...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10942910903383438

Organic Acids, Sugars, and Anthocyanins Contents in Juices of Tunisian Pomegranate Fruits

Seed and juice characterization of pomegranate fruits grown in Tunisia: Comparison between sour and sweet cultivars revealed interesting properties for prospective industrial applications

Messaoud Mars

Papers

Characterization of Tunisian pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars using amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis

Diversity of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) germplasm in Tunisia

Comparative Assessment of SSR and AFLP Markers for Evaluation of Genetic Diversity and Conservation of Fig, Ficus carica L., Genetic Resources in Tunisia

Organic Acids, Sugars, and Anthocyanins Contents in Juices of Tunisian Pomegranate Fruits

Seed and juice characterization of pomegranate fruits grown in Tunisia: Comparison between sour and sweet cultivars revealed interesting properties for prospective industrial applications