Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
05:46
Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Cannabidiolic Acid from Cannabis Biomass
Published on: May 27, 2022
Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Pomegranate Peel Using Vinegar with α-Cyclodextrin as a
María de Los Ángeles Martínez-Sánchez1, Ginés Benito Martínez-Hernández1,2, Antonio López-Gómez1,2
1Food Safety and Refrigeration Engineering Group, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII, 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Ultrasound-assisted extraction using vinegar and α-cyclodextrin (αCD) effectively recovers polyphenols from pomegranate peel. This green method yields potent antioxidant and antimicrobial extracts, highlighting a sustainable approach for utilizing fruit byproducts.
Area of Science:
- Food Science and Technology
- Green Chemistry
- Natural Product Chemistry
Background:
- Conventional organic solvent extraction methods for pomegranate peel polyphenols are inefficient and environmentally concerning.
- Pomegranate peel is a rich source of bioactive polyphenols with potential health benefits.
- Developing sustainable extraction techniques is crucial for valorizing food industry byproducts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of pomegranate peel polyphenols using eco-friendly vinegar-based solvent systems.
- To enhance polyphenol solubilization and recovery using vinegar combined with α-cyclodextrin (αCD).
- To characterize the antioxidant, phenolic content, and antimicrobial properties of the obtained extracts.
Main Methods:
- Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of dehydrated pomegranate peel.
- Utilized distilled vinegar and α-cyclodextrin (αCD) as green solvent systems.
- Assessed extracts via DPPH radical scavenging, Folin-Ciocalteu assay, HPLC-QTOF-MS, and Kirby-Bauer well-diffusion assay against L. monocytogenes and S. enterica.
Main Results:
- The unbuffered vinegar system (V2) demonstrated superior antioxidant capacity compared to a methanolic control.
- The vinegar-αCD system (V2-10) yielded the highest total phenolic content (TPC).
- Punicalagin was identified as the predominant phenolic compound, and extracts exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against tested bacteria.
Conclusions:
- UAE combined with vinegar-αCD solvents is a promising green extraction strategy for pomegranate peel polyphenols.
- This method offers a sustainable alternative to conventional solvent extraction, yielding bioactive-rich extracts.
- Findings provide valuable insights into solvent-dependent variations in phenolic profiles and bioactivity from pomegranate byproducts.
