Physico-chemical and textural quality attributes of pomegranate cultivars (Punica granatum L.) grown in the Sultanate of Oman

F. A. Al-Said, L. U. Opara*, R. A. Al-Yahyai

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

183 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the Sultanate of Oman (an arid country in the Arabian Gulf), pomegranate has been grown over the years in the mountainous area called al Jabal al Akhdar. Although pomegranate is a high-value fruit in Oman, there has been no reported study on the quality attributes of the locally grown cultivars. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of four locally grown pomegranate fruit cultivars relevant for postharvest handling and processing were determined. Significant differences in fruit size and skin colour, aril size and colour, juice content and titratable acidity were found among the cultivars. On the basis of kernel texture (hardness and toughness), the four pomegranate cultivars studies can be classified as 'hard' (Jabal 3 and wild) or 'soft' (Jabal 1 and Jabal 2). Pomegranate cultivars with higher aril toughness yielded less juice per 100 g seeds. The significantly very low sugar:acid ratio of the least commonly grown 'wild' pomegranate explains its characteristic intense 'sweet and sour' taste in comparison with the other cultivars studied.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)129-134
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Food Engineering
Volume90
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2009

Keywords

  • Chemical properties
  • Fruit quality
  • Physical properties
  • Pomegranate juice
  • Punica granatum L.
  • Textural properties

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Food Science

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