Quality Standardization of Flowers of Punica granatum (Dadima) Followed by Multi-marker Analysis in Combination with Multivariate Modeling to Evaluate Different Parts of Flowers and Geographical Variation

Abstract

Pomegranate flowers, scientifically known as Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae), are extremely nutritious and consumed by many communities. They are used as both a food and a medicine, and there are numerous folk claims to support their use. However, it lacks a quality evaluation process, limiting its acceptance and use. Despite their significant pharmacological activity, no detailed botanical and chemical analyses of the various floral sections have been published. Hence, in this study, the authors aimed to generate pharmacognostical and chemical standards using analytical techniques. Furthermore, using TLC fingerprint and marker-based analysis, different flower parts (androecium, petals, calyx, pedicel, and receptacle) were subjected to a systematic comparative chemical investigation. The results were compared to the full flower to determine which part contributes the most to the overall chemical composition of the flower. The fingerprint data was also examined for overall similarity using multivariate procedures such as principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering. According to fingerprint analysis, there is a high degree of chemical similarity between Punica grantaum’s different components and complete flower samples. Nevertheless, marker analysis indicated that the calyx and androecium had significantly high marker components and the antioxidant activity than the whole flower. As a result, they could be used instead of the entire flower to enrich the extract for targeted marker components. Additionally, samples from lower-temperature locations (Mandi and Ranikhet) had a higher concentration of the bioactive component than samples from higher-temperature (Bangalore and Kolkata) regions, according to this study.