Elemental and Phytochemical Variation among Healthy and Cracked Fruit of Punica granatum L. From Selected Areas of Kachchh Region, India

Punica granatum L. also called Pomegranate is an commercially important fruit plant belonging to Punicaceae family. Cultivation for pomegranate in Kachchh district is increasing drastically but cracking of pomegranate is one of the serious problem that badly affects the production and quality of pomegranate and also economic loss to farmers. For this purpose, the study was conducted to identify elemental and phytochemicals variation in leaves among healthy and cracked fruit. Identification of elements in leaves was carried using scanning electron microscope (SEM) energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) technique while acetone extracts were used for phytochemical variation using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The result of the SEM-EDX analysis revealed that in cracked fruit deficiency of calcium, magnesium, cobalt, and tin and excess amount of chloride and potassium was found when compared with healthy fruit while lupeol acetate and sclareol phytochemical were observed in healthy fruit while cracked fruit showed its absence.