Physicochemical characteristics, polyphenol compositions and antioxidant potential of pomegranate juices from 10 Chinese cultivars and the environmental factors analysis

Various pomegranate cultivars are grown in several regions of China, but comparative study of their juice polyphenols, antioxidant potentials, and health benefits are few. In the present study, physicochemical characteristics, polyphenol compositions, and antioxidant potentials of pomegranate aril juices from 10 cultivars in 4 Chinese regions were investigated. The results showed that the soluble solid content, reducing sugar content, titratable acid content of them were 13.97–16.30 °Brix, 62.82–110.70 g/L, 2.657–36.62 g/L, respectively. The total polyphenols, flavonoids, tannin and anthocyanin concentrations were 3.15–7.43 mg GaE/mL, 0.045–0.335 mg QuE/mL, 0.540–2.531 mg TaE/mL, and 0.004–0.160 mg CyE/mL, respectively. Sugar acid ratio, titratable acid content, total flavonoid concentration, and DPPH scavenging capacity were affected mainly by sweet and sour cultivar type, while soluble solid content and total anthocyanin concentration were affected by environment. Temperature in maturity period and latitude of growing region significantly effected on polyphenol and antioxidant potential levels of pomegranate juice.