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Evaluation of unexplored pomegranate cultivars for physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity

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Abstract

The aim of present study was to evaluate the different pomegranate cultivars for physicochemical properties and to identify the best cultivars suitable for food processing and future breeding. Various attributes of fruit (including length, weight and diameter), rind (thickness and weight), calyx (length), aril (weight, percentage, length and width), seed (length and width) and juice (titratable acidity and soluble solids or TSS) were evaluated. Total and reducing sugar, pH, ascorbic acid, total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity and maturity index were also evaluated. A significant difference in all tested parameters was noted amongst the tested cultivars except calyx length, rind thickness, arils and seed dimensions. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of pomegranate cultivars were ranged from 15.77 to 42% and 1158.9 to 1540.7 mg GAE L−1. The cultivars Tor-390 and Sorkhak-859 were sweet in taste, while the rest of the cultivars have sweet sour taste. The study concluded that the majority of cultivars were rich source of total phenolics, ascorbic acid, total soluble solid and total sugars, which are beneficial to health. Some of the elite cultivars (NKP-561, SRK-296, SZR-385, SRK-878) showed high quality attributes and were suitable for future breeding programs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are really grateful to the employees of the National Collection Centre, Kandahar–Perennial Horticultural Development for providing us with the material for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Abdul Hasib Viyar, Rashad Qadri & Mohsin Bashir

  2. Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang City, 571339, Hainan, China

    Rashad Qadri & Amjad Iqbal

  3. Department of Agriculture, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan

    Amjad Iqbal & Farooq Shah

  4. Environmental Science Department, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan

    Numra Nisar

  5. Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Imran Khan

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  1. Abdul Hasib Viyar
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  2. Rashad Qadri
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  3. Amjad Iqbal
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  4. Numra Nisar
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  5. Imran Khan
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  6. Mohsin Bashir
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  7. Farooq Shah
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Correspondence to Amjad Iqbal.

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Viyar, A.H., Qadri, R., Iqbal, A. et al. Evaluation of unexplored pomegranate cultivars for physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity. J Food Sci Technol 54, 2973–2979 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2736-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2736-z

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