Physico-chemical Properties, Vitamin C Content, and Antimicrobial Properties of Pomegranate Fruit (Punica granatum L.)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit is widely used in the food and process industries due to its excellent nutritional and health value and as a raw material for the manufacture of secondary products such as jellies, dyes, and cosmetics. The objectives of this research were to determine the vitamin C content and antimicrobial properties of fresh and dried fractions of fruit peel and arils of locally grown and imported pomegranate in Oman. A significant variation in vitamin C content was found among the five varieties of pomegranate studied, ranging from 52.8 to 72.0 mg/100 g fresh weight (fw) for arils and 76.8 to 118.4 mg/100 g fw for peels. Irrespective of the variety of pomegranate, vitamin C content in the peel was significantly higher than the aril, with differences ranging from 24.4% to 97.0% depending on variety. Fruit fractions showed antimicrobial effects (inhibition zone) on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but not Escherichia coli. Sun drying of fruit peel significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced vitamin C retention and antimicrobial effects in comparison with oven drying presumably due to lower rate of moisture removal associated with low temperature drying over longer duration in comparison with short-time high-temperature oven drying.