Chemical composition of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars grown in Croatia

Pomegranate is among the oldest cultivated sub-tropical fruit species in the coastal part of Croatia. It has been traditionally grown in central and southern Dalmatia, mainly in small orchards and gardens. For centuries, all parts of the tree (leaves, flowers and roots) have been used for medical purposes. More recently its fruits are gained more interest for its nutritional values. The edible part of pomegranate fruit contains considerable amounts of sugars, vitamins, polysaccharides, polyphenols and minerals. One of the most important quality characteristics of pomegranate fruit are red arils and juice, which are primarily associated with anthocyanins pigment. Fruit samples of seven domestic pomegranate cultivars (Barski slatki, Ciparski rani, Crveni rani, Dividiš, Konjski zub, Sladun, and Šerbetaš) and wild pomegranate were collected in productive pomegranate orchard in Metković (Croatia) (43°01'N 17°65 'E). The results on the main fruit quality traits (total soluble solids, total acidity, total sugar contents, total phenolic content, total antioxidant activity, and antocyanins content) indicated significant statistical differences among cultivars.