Extraction of polyphenols and valorization of fibers from Istrian-grown pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)

Skrt, Mihaela (author), Albreht, Alen (author), Vovk, Irena (author), Constantin, Oana Emilia (author), Râpeanu, Gabriela (author), Sežun, Mija (author), Osojnik Črnivec, Ilja Gasan (author), Zalar, Uroš (author), Poklar Ulrih, Nataša (author)

Pomegranate fruit is an ancient fruit that is used not only because of its deep-red color and tasty arils but also due to the health benefits of its extracts. Pomegranate is a valuable source of bioactive compounds, including colorful anthocyanins and other polyphenols. The main objective of the present study was to gain comprehensive knowledge of the phenolic composition and antioxidative activity of a new pomegranate cultivar, grown in Northwest Istria, a part of the North Adriatic coastal area. Various parts of the pomegranate fruit parts were extracted in 70% ethanol or water. Total phenolic content and antioxidative capacity were respectively determined with Folin–Ciocalteu reagent and ABTS radical. Phenolics were examined and analyzed with TLC, LC-MS, and HPLC. Pomegranate juice was prepared from red arils and after thermal treatment, the stability of anthocyanins was monitored for several months to understand the effect of storage. The highest total phenolics were determined in ethanol pomegranate peel extracts (30.5 ± 0.6 mg GAE/g DM), and water peel extracts exhibited the highest antioxidative activity (128 ± 2 µg TE/g DM). After five months of storage of thermally treated pomegranate juice, 50–60 percentage points increase in anthocyanin degradation was observed. Pomegranate peel was further tested as a sustainable inedible food source for papermaking. Due to the low content of cellulose and the high percentage of extractives, as well as a distinguished texture and appearance, the paper made from pomegranate peel is best suited for the production of specialty papers, making it particularly interesting for bioactives recovery, followed by material restructuring.

• Language: English
• Keywords: pomegranate, pomegranate fruit, pomegranate juice, processing residues, bioactive compounds, antioxidants, phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, fibrous compounds, lignocellulose, papermaking
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 18, art. 2740
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-142722
• UDC: 634.64:547.56:676
• ISSN on article: 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods11182740
• COBISS.SI-ID: 123836931
• Publication date in RUL: 22.11.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Foods
• Shortened title: Foods
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2304-8158
• COBISS.SI-ID: 512252472

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: granatno jabolko, bioaktivne spojine, antioksidanti, fenolne spojine, proizvodnja papirja