Organic acids and sugars composition of harvested pomegranate fruits

Abstract

For two consecutive seasons, 40 Spanish pomegranate cultivars (cvs) were analysed and their individual organic acids and sugars compositions were examined. Intervarietal differences in acidity content reported by different authors were confirmed. According to organoleptic characteristics and chemical compositions three groups of varieties were established: sweet (SWV), soursweet (SSWV) and sour (SV). On average, for two seasons, total organic acids on a dry basis ranged between 0.317 g/100 g (SWV) and 2.725 g/100 g (SV). Citric, malic, oxalic, acetic (first reported here), fumaric, tartaric and lactic acids were detected, although lactic and fumaric were not quantifiable. On average, for both seasons, citric acid was predominant with a range of 0.142–2.317 g/100 g (average content for all CVS, 0.282 g/100 g). Malic acid was the second most abundant, with a range of 0.135–0.176 g/100 g (average of 0.139 g/100 g). Total sugars ranged between 11.43 g/100 g and 13.5 g/100 g. Glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose were detected, although maltose (first reported here) was not quantifiable. Fructose ranged between 5.96 g/100 g and 7.04 g/100 g, with an average of 6.58 g/100 g, quite similar to that of glucose (6.14 g/100 g). Sour cv showed the lowest fructose and glucose contents. The average sucrose content was 0.01 g/100 g. Other differences among the groups of cvs were detected. Low total sugars and high acids were found in SV. The SSWV group had higher sugars than the SV. However, no difference in total sugars between SSWV and SWV was found. A lower acids content than SV but higher than SWV was found in the SSWV group. No other studies have been published so far on the individual organic acids and sugars of pomegranate fruit.