Pomegranate byproducts Book in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an important source of bioactive compounds and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. The edible part of the pomegranate is 50% of the fruit; the rest is inedible (waste, seeds, membranes, as well as cracked fruits). Industrial waste is an environmental pollution problem since the material is prone to microbial deterioration. However, these wastes contain large amounts of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, ellagitannins, vitamins, minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids, etc., that have nutritional characteristics and biofunctional compounds that promote health through their antimicrobial, antifungal, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties. They also aid in the prevention of osteoporosis; they have cosmetic benefits, slow progression of Alzheimer's disease, lower cholesterol and systolic pressure, maintain dental health, and increase the nutritional quality and shelf life of food products by slowing the oxidation process and limiting growth of microflora. Pomegranate industrial wastes and by-products offer an opportunity to generate products of high functional value, such as powerful natural antioxidants, nutraceuticals, and natural preservatives that can be added to dairy products, meat, fish, cereals and nuts or made into films and coatings for food packaging. In conclusion, pomegranate by-products contain valuable compounds that can be used to improve the nutritional and functional properties of food products for animal or human consumption, and by converting them into nutraceutical products, pollution caused by wastes from industrial processing of pomegranate can be reduced. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

publication date

  • June 22, 2023