Abstract

The study aimed to chemically characterize various extracts of pomegranate fruit peels and to evaluate their antioxidant activity. The various extracts were prepared by Soxhlet extraction method using hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol as solvent. GC-MS analysis of the methanolic extract showed the presence 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (60.11%) , 2,3- dihydro-3, 5–dihydroxy–6–methyl-4H-pyran-4-one (14.74%), D-allose (5.81%), 5,5'-[oxybis(methylene)]-di-(2-furaldehyde) (4.08%), methyl-2-furoate (1.92%), 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucofuranose (1.62%) and 5-methyl-2(1H)-pyridinon (1.40%). Proximate nutritional analysis showed the presence of (%) moisture (11.87), ash (4.32), crude fat (1.72), crude protein (4.45), crude fibre (14.33), carbohydrate (63.31) and soluble sugar (7.2) content. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins in ethyl-acetate and methanolic extracts, saponins in hexane extract, phenols, glycosides and steroids in all the extracts and flavonoids in all extracts except in hexane extract. The total phenolic content of various extracts ranged from 61.39 to 18.90 mg GAE/g of extract whereas total flavonoid content ranged from 3.1 to 37.98 mg Rutin/g of extract. Among various extracts hexane being less polar showed least radical scavenging activity even at higher concentration i.e 65.10 % at 500 ppm. The maximum radical scavenging activity was found in methanol extract i.e.95.85% at 500ppm and 44.28% at 10 ppm which was almost equivalent to that of standard ascorbic acid. Methanol extract showed least IC50 value of 17.10 μg/ml where as standard ascorbic acid showed IC50 value of 12.33 μg/ml.

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