EVALUATION OF POMEGRANATE PEEL OBTAINED DURING PROCESSING FOR USE AS A FOOD ADDITIVE

Abstract

This study was conducted to obtain bioactive compounds from the peels of cultivated pomegranate varieties Bala Mursal, Azerbaijan Guloyshe and Nazik gabig collected from pomegranate orchards established in the Agsu and Göyçay districts of the Mountainous Shirvan economic region, and to investigate their potential health benefits for application in the food industry. The results of the study indicated that pomegranate peels are rich in polyphenols. The chemical composition of the samples was determined as follows: crude protein was measured using the Kjeldahl method, crude fat according to GOST 13496.15–2016, and crude fiber according to ISO 6865:2015. The content of mineral elements, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and manganese, was determined following AOAC 984.27. The phytochemical composition was analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) with the Agilent 8860 GC System, and the total phenolic content was measured spectrophotometrically using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Significant differences in the analytical results were observed depending on the varieties’ characteristics and cultivation conditions. The high content of chemical components in the pomegranate peel indicates its potential use as a food additive.The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical and nutritional composition of pomegranate peels of varieties grown in Azerbaijan and to evaluate their potential application as food additives
and their associated health benefits.