Valorisation of pomegranate waste: A sustainable approach to harnessing natural antioxidants

Agricultural waste, particularly pomegranate peel, is a significant environmental issue due to its high phenolic content and the disposal problems associated with byproducts like peels and seeds from juice production. This study investigates the phytochemical properties of peels and seeds from eight Iranian pomegranate cultivars. Results show that white-skinned cultivars are especially rich in phenols and tannins, making them promising sources of natural antioxidants for the food and pharmaceutical industries. The sweet white (SW) and sour white (OW) cultivars showed the highest total phenol (796–805 mg GAE/100 g FW), flavonoid (12.7–12.8 mg Ru/100 g FW), and tannin content (145–148 mg TAE/100 g FW), with antioxidant activity 9–129 % higher than in red-, yellow-, and black-skinned cultivars. These findings suggest pomegranate peels, particularly from white cultivars, are a valuable resource for medicinal and nutritional applications in biorefineries.