Bioactive Properties of Fruit Juice of Pomegranate ( Punica granatum) Grown in Dry Regions of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a popular fruit in Sri Lanka, rich with medicinal properties and extensively used in traditional Ayurvedic medicines. Total phenolic content, vitamin C and antioxidant activity of the fruit (aril) juice were determined in fruits harvested from three locations in the southern dry zone (DL 1a). The total phenolic content and vitamin C, as determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method, were 22.2±6.5 and 8.7±2.3 g/L, respectively, but significantly lower than that of pomegranate collected from Chilaw, a popular pomegranate growing area in the north-west (DL 3). However, the antioxidant capacity of the fruit juice of pomegranate from DL 1a was comparable with the same of DL 3. Antioxidant capacity of pomegranate fruit juice was positively correlated with total phenol content and vitamin C content. The results revealed the bioactive properties of fruit juice extracted from local pomegranate trees grown in home gardens of the southern dry region of Sri Lanka, emphasizing potential exploitations of these properties of pomegranate in the fruit juice industry.