Amidst the growing concern of antimicrobial resistance as a significant health challenge, research has emerged, focusing on elucidating the antimicrobial potential of polyphenol-rich extracts to reduce reliance on antibiotics. Previous studies explored the antifungal effects of extracts as potential alternatives to conventional therapeutic strategies. We aimed to assess the antibacterial and antifungal effects of standardised pomegranate extract (PE) and lemon extract (LE) using a range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and two yeast species. Additionally, we assessed the antimicrobial activities of common antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin, Imipenem, Gentamicin, and Ceftazidime), either alone or in combination with extracts, against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. PE displayed substantial antibacterial (primarily bactericidal) and antifungal effects against most pathogens, while LE exhibited antibacterial (mostly bacteriostatic) and antifungal properties to a lesser extent. When compared with antibiotics, PE showed a greater zone of inhibition (ZOI) than Ciprofloxacin and Ceftazidime (p < 0.01) and comparable ZOI to Gentamicin (p = 0.4) against Staphylococcus aureus. However, combinations of either PE or LE with antibiotics exhibited either neutral or antagonistic effects on antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These findings contribute to the existing evidence regarding the antimicrobial effects of PE and LE. They add to the body of research suggesting that polyphenols exert both antagonistic and synergistic effects in antimicrobial activity. This highlights the importance of identifying optimal polyphenol concentrations that can enhance antibiotic activity and reduce antibiotic resistance. Further in vivo studies, starting with animal trials and progressing to human trials, may potentially lead to recommendation of these extracts for therapeutic use.

Acquiring information on consumer preferences for the sensory properties of pomegranates is a cue for breeding programmes to set their quality targets and promote the consumption of this particularly healthy fruit. In this study, a total of 12 pomegranate varieties were evaluated, including commercial (Valenciana, Illina, Tastem, Rugalate, Wonderful, Mollar 49 y Mollar 45) and new varieties (Ref 102, Ref 383, H3/27, and D27/12). For the first time, consumers not only scored their acceptance of different pomegranate varieties but also described their sensory properties using CATA questions. This approach allowed us to identify the main drivers of liking, preference patterns, and the relationship between sensory and physico-chemical properties. Of all the sensory attributes, acidity intensity was revealed as the main driver of liking/disliking, and two different consumer preference patterns were identified: \'low acid pomegranate lovers\' and \'acid pomegranate lovers\'. Seed properties like the intensity of woody flavour and seed/aril ratio were also key drivers for preferences. A relationship between sensory and physico-chemical properties was also established. Interestingly, sweetness perception correlated more strongly with low titratable acidity levels than with high total soluble solids levels, corroborating that acidity level is a key measurement for quality assessments. \'H3/27\' was the most promising of the new varieties for having the well-appreciated internal properties of the \'Mollar\' varieties and external and internal red colouration, which makes it much more appealing to consumers. This study shows that there is still room on the market for pomegranate varieties with very different sensory properties and highlights the need to develop sensory labels that help consumers make the right choices.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an important fruit crop for therapeutic and food applications. In June 2022, brown spots were observed on the fruit surface of pomegranate cultivar named Guangyan in Mengzi (23°20\'6\'\'N,103°25\'5\'\'E), Yunnan, China. The early spots appeared as circular or irregular lesions, measuring 1~1.5 mm in diameter. They were light brown with a clear boundary between disease and healthy tissues. Over time, these spots developed into polygonal lesions covering the entire fruit surface. Eventually, the diseased fruits decayed, and more than 50% of fruits were infected in pomegranate orchards. The tissues from the interface between health and disease were cut down, immersed in 75% ethanol for 15 s, then 5% NaOCl disinfecting for 2 min, washed three times with sterile water, and the PDA cultured at 26 °C in an incubator under dark conditions. Twenty-five samples were collected for pathogen isolation, ten fungal isolates were obtained by single spore germination, and these isolates had similar morphological characters. The colonies were white with 81 mm diameter at 7 days of incubation, containing undulate edges with dense aerial mycelium. After 14 days, the black conidiomata formed superficially, gathering into black droplets. Conidiogenous cells were hyaline, short, and filiform. Conidia were fusiform, straight or slightly curved, and comprised five cells, 24.12 to 34.53 (x̄=29.78) μm × 4.21 to 12.15 (x̄=8.68) μm (n=50). The three median cells were 13.13 to 25.22 μm (x̄=18.54), dark brown, whose septa and periclinal walls were darker than the other two cells. The apical cells showed two to four appendages, 12.31 to 29.15 (x̄=21.56) μm. Only a single appendage was found on the basal cell, 2.34 to 7.16 μm. Based on morphological features, these isolates were identified as Neopestalotiopsis clavispora (Maharachchikumbura et al., 2012, 2014). Molecular identification of isolate YNSL-3 was performed by amplification and sequencing of ITS4/ITS5, BT2A/ BT2B and EF1-728F/EF-2, respectively (White et al. 1990, Glass et al.1995, Carbone et al. 1999, O\'Donnell et al. 1998). These base sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers OQ891378 (ITS), OR088917 (Tef) and OR513439(Tub), respectively. BLAST searches of the sequences revealed 100% (478/478 bp), 100% (484/484 bp), and 94.67% (426/450 bp) homology with those of N. clavispora NM16311a from GenBank (LC209216, LC209220, and LC209221), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis (IQ-TREE) by maximum likelihood method showed that the isolate YNSL-3 was clustered with N. clavispora. The pathogenicity was tested with the isolate of YNSL-3, YNSL-5 and YNSL-8 by detached assay. The fruit surface of pomegranate cultivar Guangyan was wounded with a sterilized needle. The mycelial blocks (5mm2) of isolates cultured on PDA for 7 days were attached to the points of inoculation. Controls were inoculated with sterile PDA agar. All inoculated fruits were maintained in a growth chamber at 26°C with 75% relative humidity. The test was performed thrice. The brown lesions were observed after 7 days, whereas the controls showed no symptoms. The same pathogens reisolated were identical to the original isolates based on morphological characterization and molecular analyses. N. clavispora could cause different diseases in many plants (Rajashekara et al. 2023, Loredana et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of fruit brown spot on Punica granatum caused by N. clavispora in China. This finding will help improve management strategies against the fruit brown spots on P. granatum in China.

In this study, we investigated the effect of roasting conditions and time on the physicochemical properties of pomegranate seed oil. We analyzed the fatty acid, total phenolic, flavonoid, tocopherol, and phytosterol contents of pomegranate seed oil extracted under four conditions: raw, heated at 160°C for 15 min, heated at 160°C for 20 min, and heated at 180°C for 10 min, which included three that were well-established to enhance nutritional and flavor properties. Furthermore, the oxidative stability was evaluated based on the acid value, peroxide value, and induction period. Roasting significantly decreased the contents of punicic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherol, and phytosterol and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity (P<0.05) of the oil. Conversely, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, acid value, peroxide value, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and induction period were significantly increased (P<0.05). Our results suggest that the roasting conditions were nutritionally and oxidatively stable, thereby enhancing the roasting process and providing a database for essential roasting treatments for pomegranate seed oil.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit quality depends on many traits including visual, biochemical and mineral characteristics. One of the negative traits is aril whitening (AW) which is a frequently observed disorder in hot and dry climates, that leads to decline in desirable fruit quality. Color, antioxidant, and mineral contents of the arils are of prime importance as quality traits. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of shading and foliar minerals on fruit quality during the fruit development stages of pomegranate. Treatments included shaded (50% green net) and unshaded trees and foliar application of trees with potassium sulfate (K, 1% and 2%) or sodium silicate (Si, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15%) during two growing seasons. Results showed that the severity of AW at harvest decreased significantly when trees were covered with shading compared to control. The color values of L* and ⁰hue for arils were lower in fruits grown under shading conditions indicating darker red arils. Shading significantly reduced chilling injury in cold storage compared to open field fruits. Shading and Si 0.15% increased superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzymes activity while decreased Polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase. Covering trees with shading and Si 0.15% spray resulted in the highest total anthocyanin, antioxidant activity, and total phenolics content in the arils. Shading as well as Si 0.15% increased macronutrients content of the arils. The study concluded that covering pomegranate trees and spraying with Si in hot climate reduced AW, increased antioxidant traits, and led to higher fruit quality.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disorder in which excess fat accumulates in hepatocytes and can lead to serious complications. Oxidative stress is one of the leading causes of NAFLD. Pomegranates are considered antioxidant-rich fruit. This systematic review study was aimed to investigate the impact of pomegranate on NAFLD. PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases/search engines (from inception up to July 2023) were searched for interventional studies (human and animal) that examined the effects of supplementation with different parts of pomegranate including fruits, peels, seeds, or flower on NAFLD outcomes. A total of 222 articles were retrieved following the initial search. After excluding duplicates, the title and abstract of 114 articles were screened. Afterward, irrelevant articles were removed and the full texts of the remaining 27 articles were reviewed. Eventually, 19 articles (16 animal and three human interventional studies) that met the inclusion criteria, published between 2009 and 2023, were included in this systematic review. Our study indicates the potential beneficial effects of different parts of pomegranate on the improvement of NAFLD. However, given that the majority of the included articles were animal studies, further investigations in the form of human clinical trials are warranted to suggest a clinical indication of such interventions.

Dementia treatment has become a global research priority, driven by the increase in the aging population. Punicalagin, the primary polyphenol found in pomegranate fruit, exhibits a variety of benefits. Today, a growing body of research is showing that punicalagin is a nutraceutical for the prevention of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, a comprehensive review is still lacking. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the physicochemical properties, origin and pharmacokinetics of punicalagin, while emphasizing the significance and mechanisms of its potential role in the prevention and treatment of MCI. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that Punicalagin possesses the potential to effectively target and enhance the treatment of MCI. Potential mechanisms by which punicalagin alleviates MCI include antioxidative damage, anti-neuroinflammation, promotion of neurogenesis, and modulation of neurotransmitter interactions. Overall, punicalagin is safer and shows potential as a therapeutic compound for the prevention and treatment of MCI, although more rigorous randomized controlled trials involving large populations are required.

The pomegranate processing industry generates worldwide enormous amounts of by-products, such as pomegranate peels (PPs), which constitute a rich source of phenolic compounds. In this view, PPs could be exploited as a sustainable source of ellagic acid, which is a compound that possesses various biological actions. The present study aimed at the liberation of ellagic acid from its bound forms via ultrasound-assisted alkaline hydrolysis, which was optimized using response surface methodology. The effects of duration of sonication, solvent:solid ratio, and NaOH concentration on total phenol content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and punicalagin and ellagic acid content were investigated. Using the optimum hydrolysis conditions (i.e., 32 min, 1:48 v/w, 1.5 mol/L NaOH), the experimental responses were found to be TCP: 4230 ± 190 mg GAE/100 g dry PPs; AABTS: 32,398 ± 1817 µmol Trolox/100 g dry PPs; ACUPRAC: 29,816 ± 1955 µmol Trolox/100 g dry PPs; 59 ± 3 mg punicalagin/100 g dry PPs; and 1457 ± 71 mg ellagic acid/100 g dry PPs. LC-QTOF-MS and GC-MS analysis of the obtained PP extract revealed the presence of various phenolic compounds (e.g., ellagic acid), organic acids (e.g., citric acid), sugars (e.g., fructose) and amino acids (e.g., glycine). The proposed methodology could be of use for food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics applications, thus reinforcing local economies.

The growing trend in fruit wine production reflects consumers\' interest in novel, diverse drinking experiences and the increasing demand for healthier beverage options. Fruit wines made from kiwi, pomegranates, and persimmons fermented using S. bayanus Lalvin strain EC1118 demonstrate the versatility of winemaking techniques. Kiwifruit, persimmon, and pomegranate wines were analyzed using HPLC and GC-TOFMS analyses to determine their concentrations of phenolic acids and volatile compounds. These results were supported by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to characterize and compare chemical shifts in the polyphenol regions of these wines. The wines\' characterization included an anti-inflammatory assay based on NO, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 production in the RAW 264.7 macrophage model. FTIR spectroscopy predicted the antioxidant and phenolic contents in the wines. In terms of polyphenols, predominantly represented by chlorogenic, caffeic, and gallic acids, pomegranate and kiwifruit wines showed greater benefits. However, kiwifruit wines exhibited a highly diverse profile of volatile compounds. Further analysis is necessary, particularly regarding the use of other microorganisms in the fermentation process and non-Saccharomyces strains methods. These wines exhibit high biological antioxidant potential and health properties, providing valuable insights for future endeavors focused on designing healthy functional food products.

Pomegranate juice (PJ) and inulin have been reported to ameliorate diet-induced metabolic disorders by regulating gut microbiota dysbiosis. However, there was a lack of clinical evidence for the combined effects of PJ and inulin on regulating gut microbiota in individuals with metabolic disorders. A double-blind, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted, and 68 overweight/obese individuals (25 ≤ BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to receive 200 mL/d PJ, PJ supplemented with inulin, or placebo for 3 weeks. Our results showed that PJ and PJ+inulin did not significantly alter the levels of anthropometric and blood biochemical indicators after 3 weeks of treatment. However, there was an increasingly significant impact from placebo to PJ to PJ+inulin on the composition of gut microbiota. Detailed bacterial abundance analysis further showed that PJ+inulin treatment more profoundly resulted in significant changes in the abundance of gut microbiota at each taxonomic level than PJ. Moreover, PJ+inulin treatment also promoted the production of microbiota-associated short-chain fatty acids and pomegranate polyphenol metabolites, which correlated with the abundance of the bacterial genus. Our results suggested that PJ supplemented with inulin modulates gut microbiota composition and thus promotes the production of microbiota-associated metabolites that exert potential beneficial effects in overweight/obese subjects.