Effect of Genotype on the Sprouting of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Seeds as a Source of Phenolic Compounds from Juice Industry by-Products

Abstract

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits are used mainly by the juice industry, for which seeds are a by-product to be disposed of, though they could potentially be a source of bioactive compounds. In this work, germination (total germination percentage, G; mean germination time, MGT; time to reach 80% of germination, TG80; seedling shoot length, fresh weight and dry matter), and nutritional value (total phenolics, TP; total flavonoids, TF; total non-tannins, TNT; antioxidant activities) of pomegranate seeds and sprouts were determined on four commercial pomegranate cultivars (Akko, Dente di Cavallo, Mollar de Elche and Wonderful). Seeds were removed from ripe fruits and incubated in plastic trays containing sterile cotton wetted with distilled water. Sprout shoots were harvested when they reached the complete cotyledon expansion, i.e., the ready-to-eat stage. Akko showed the best germination performance (G = 98%; MGT = 14 days after sowing, DAS; TG80 = 16 DAS), followed by Mollar de Elche. Sprouting dramatically increased TP, TF, TNT and antioxidant activity in all genotypes, with the highest values recorded in Mollar de Elche and Dente di Cavallo. Overall, based on germination performance, Akko and Mollar de Elche would be the best cultivars for sprouting. Sprouting pomegranate seeds appears to be a suitable way of utilizing by-products of the juice industry to obtain bioactive compounds.

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Sprouts from Seeds of Citrus Species

“…This opens perspectives for exploiting these by-products as a source of bioactive compounds for food additives and supplements, cosmetics, and pharmaceutics [1][2][3]. Since the consumption of Citrus seeds in human nutrition is hampered mainly by the woody texture and the astringent and bitter taste, an intriguing idea could be represented by the use of seeds for sprouting, as recently proposed for other fruit tree species [4,5]. Sprouting is a new trend in healthy food and nutraceutics because it provides edible seedlings with reduced antinutrient and increased phytochemical contents compared to seeds.To this purpose, a significant body of literature has been developed on herbaceous species intended for sprout production [6], while the effects of germination on the biochemical composition of tree species have been scarcely investigated.…”

“…Sprouting is a new trend in healthy food and nutraceutics because it provides edible seedlings with reduced antinutrient and increased phytochemical contents compared to seeds.To this purpose, a significant body of literature has been developed on herbaceous species intended for sprout production [6], while the effects of germination on the biochemical composition of tree species have been scarcely investigated. Higher total phenolic content in sprouts as compared to seeds was observed, for example, in pomegranate [4] and olive [5]. It is noteworthy that Citrus seeds are considered recalcitrant, with serious storage problems due to their sensitivity to either chilling or desiccation.…”

Effect of heat‐ and freeze‐drying treatments on phytochemical content and fatty acid profile of alfalfa and flax sprouts

“…This has encouraged much research on the subject. Besides the most common cultivated cereals, legumes, and oilseeds, studies are now considering marginal species never previously used for sprouting, like hulled wheats or even fruit‐tree species like pomegranate …”

“…Besides the most common cultivated cereals, legumes, and oilseeds, studies are now considering marginal species never previously used for sprouting, like hulled wheats 5 or even fruit-tree species like pomegranate. 6 Furthermore, destinations other than the fresh vegetable market for human consumption are being considered. Two recent works have proposed alfalfa and flax sprouts as supplements for the diet of rabbits 7 and hens 8 as a means to improve the nutritional quality of livestock products.…”

Taste quality traits and volatile profiles of sprouts and wheatgrass from hulled and non‐hulled Triticum species

“…These health‐promoting properties are such that sprouts have been recently proposed even to supplement livestock diet for both improving animal health and transferring bioactive compounds to humans through livestock products (Dal Bosco et al, ; Mattioli et al, ). More and more plant species have been studied for sprouting, mainly cereal, legume, and Brassica species (Benincasa et al, ; Falcinelli, Benincasa et al, ; Falcinelli, Sileoni et al, ; Mattioli et al, ), and even one fruit tree species like pomegranate (Falcinelli, Marconi et al, ), suggesting new perspectives for recovery of bioactive compounds from juice and other food industry by‐products.…”