The free radical capturing activity of these flavonoids was demonstrated by Espín et al., 2000. This means that 10% of the antioxidant capacity of pomegranate juice is due to the presence of these polyphenols (Gil et al., 2000). The antioxidant capacity of pomegranate juice is three times higher than that of red wine and green tea (Gil et al., 2000).These compounds can be also used as natural colouring by adding them to other foods.
B. Fatty Acids (FA) We are more than aware of the importance of unsaturated fatty acids in diets. The pomegranate is a fruit rich in seeds that contain a woody portion of between 5% and 15% which is rich in fibre and fat. With respect to FA, one of the differences between the pomegranate and other fruits lies in the fact that we eat the seeds. The woody part contains fat which vary between 37 and 143 g/kg of the fruit (Melgarejo et al. 1995). This fatty content and its composition in fatty acids is a quality parameter for the consumer, especially the ratio saturated fatty acids/unsaturated fatty acids. The composition of essential fatty acids (linoleic, linolenic and araquidonic) are of great importance especially for their content in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which, as they greatly reduce the levels of HDL-cholesterol, plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and other heart problems (Grande 1988; De Hoya and Mata 1989). The composition of fat and fatty acids of the seeds not only helps us to establish the chemotaxonomic relations between the varieties studied (Sunder Rao and Sino, 1992 and Onyencho Hettiarachchy, 1993), but they are also of great interest for diet and the prevention of some illnesses. The study about the fat and fatty acid composition of 5 Spanish varieties of pomegranate (Melgarejo et al., 2001; Hernández et al., 2011), grown under homogenous conditions (2 sweet from mid-season – ME16 and MA2, one sweet early – VA1, one sour sweet - PTO8, and one sour, BA1), gave the following results (Table 1). Table 1. Total fat content (g/kg dry matter) and fatty acid composition of 5 Spanish varieties of pomegranate
1
Lipids (g/kg) (%) Palmitic (C16:0) (%) Stearic (C18:0) (%) Oleic (C18:1) (9) (%) Oleic ( C18:1)(10) (%) Linoleic (C18:2) 2 (%) Punic (C18:3) Saturates Monounsaturates Diunsaturates Triunsaturates Unsaturates Saturates/unsaturates
ME16
MA2
VA1
PTO8
BA1
80.92±18.2 3.83±0.96 2.38±0.89 4.82±1.97 1.09±0.53 7.74±3.63 66.76±15.4 6.21 5.91 7.74 66.76 80.41 0.077
79.97±22.66 4.08±1.25 1.93±0.28 5.83±3.56 1.02±0.43 8.54±5.6 75.28±11.06 6.02 6.85 8.54 75.28 90.67 0.066
68.97±11.49 3.63±0.33 1.6±0 4.39±1.13 0.84±0.21 7.3±2.07 78.5±1.96 5.23 5.23 7.3 78.5 91.03 0.057
130.95±89.3 4.30±1.66 2.62±1.05 5.70±2.65 0.79±0.19 7.48±3.46 75.39±11.39 6.92 6.49 7.48 75.39 89.36 0.077
104.9±7.31 2.99±0.14 1.64±0.16 4.09±0.10 0.61±0.049 4.98±0.13 79.29±0.077 4.63 4.7 4.98 79.29 88.97 0.052
1
Values are averages from three determinations during two consecutive campaigns (1995 and 1996). The number in brackets which follows the monounsaturated fatty acid indicates the double bond position. 2 Punic acid C18:3 (linolenic) with double bonds in position 9, 11 and 13, without determining the geometrical configuration.
Punic acid was shown to have anti-atherogenic effects after a 4 week application in patients who received 400 mg twice a day, in comparison with those who received a placebo with a statistically significant HDL_C reduction, at 95% confidence. Seric cholesterol, LDL cholesterol,
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Options Méditerranéennes, A, no. 103, 2012