Valorization of pomegranate peel from 12 cultivars: Dietary fibre composition, antioxidant capacity and functional properties

The dried powdered fruit peels of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) (PomP) from 12 cultivars were used to extract and characterise their dietary fibre (DF) and to assess their functional and antioxidant properties. The total DF content varied between 33.10 and 62/100 g. The cellulose, Klason lignin, uronic acid and total neutral sugars (NS) composition of DF was: 16.53–22.71, 20.59–41.86, 13.98–23.31 and 16.88–19.66/100 g, respectively. Arabinose and xylose were the most present NS with more than 60% of total NS content. The ratio of insoluble to soluble DF was around 1, reflecting the balanced composition of PomP’s DF. Besides, PomP powder showed intermediate values for water- and oil-holding capacities: 2.31–3.53 and 2.80–4.05 mL/g, respectively, and strong retardation effect on the dialysis of glucose, reaching ∼60%. Also, it has been shown that most of the antioxidants can be extracted, based on the strong soluble antioxidant activity (2018–2649 μmol Trolox/g) compared to the insoluble one (13–23 μmol Trolox/g).