•  
  •  
 

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

DOI

10.55730/1300-011X.3080

Abstract

With the significant increase in population in cities, the necessity of growing safe and functional food is of great importance. Pomegranate fruit has many valuable antioxidant properties. The subject of study was the pomegranate from the continental region (Sremski Karlovci, Serbia) and the Mediterranean region (Bar, Montenegro). We compared biochemically active compounds in genotypes from both locations. The analysis performed included total phenolics, tannins, flavonoid contents, proanthocyanidins, pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, as well as carotenoids. Analysis of vitamin C, titratable acidity, pH value, and total sugars were also performed. Two antioxidant tests were also conducted, including DPPH and ABTS tests. Based on the results obtained, we concluded that pomegranate grown in nonprimary conditions, such as in the continental area in Serbia, had a significantly higher amount of biochemically active compounds than the pomegranate grown in the Mediterranean urban region. It was found that the content of total phenols is significantly higher in all continental pomegranate genotypes, through all three phases, implying the adaptation of this species to continental conditions. The value of these active compounds through the second and third phases of fruit ripening is especially emphasized (ME047-1.18 mg gae/g fw; CO170-8.46 mg gae/g fw). Antioxidant tests also indicate the great potential of examined fruits, especially through the first and third stages of fruit ripening, where continental samples reached a value of 99.36 mg teac/g fw, while Mediterranean ones reached 51.84 mg teac/g fw for the ABTS assay. The proanthocyanidins content was also emphasized in continental varieties where it reached a value of CO170 (12.13 mg ce/g fw) in the third stage of ripening, while in the Mediterranean varieties the maximum was reached in the ME029 genotype (4.36 mg ce/g fw). Such results indicate the importance of growing fruit species that are adapted to urban conditions and that have been proven useful when it comes to the impact on human health in urban areas.

Keywords

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), urban areas, antioxidant activity, polyphenols, safe food

First Page

215

Last Page

227

Download

Share

COinS