doi: 10.17113/ftb.55.02.17.4786

Genetic, Biochemical, Nutritional and Antimicrobial Characteristics of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Grown in Istria

Ana Miklavčič Višnjevec¹, Ajda Ota², Mihaela Skrt², Bojan Butinar³, Sonja Smole Možina², Nina Gunde Cimerman^2,4, Marijan Nečemer⁵, Alenka Baruca Arbeiter¹, Matjaž Hladnik¹, Marin Krapac⁶, Dean Ban⁶, Milena Bučar-Miklavčič³, Nataša Poklar Ulrih² and Dunja Bandelj¹*

¹Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, SI-6000 Koper, Slovenia
²Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva ulica 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
³Science and Research Centre Koper, Garibaldijeva 1, SI-6000 Koper, Slovenia
⁴Centre of Excellence for Integrated Approaches in Chemistry and Biology of Proteins (CipKeBiP), Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
⁵Jožef Stefan’ Institute, Jamova cesta 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
6Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, Ul. Karla Huguesa 8, HR-52440 Poreč, Croatia

Article history:
Received May 12, 2016
Accepted December 6, 2016

Key words:
Punica granatum L., bioactive components, genetic characteristics, antimicrobial and antifungal activity

Summary:
This study characterises the genetic variability of local pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) germplasm from the Slovenian and Croatian areas of Istria. The bioactive components and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of ethanol and water extracts of different parts of pomegranate fruit were also determined, along with their preliminary nutritional characterisation. Twenty-six different genotypes identified with microsatellite analysis indicate the great diversity of pomegranate in Istria. The pomegranate fruit ethanol extracts represent rich sources of phenolic compounds (mean value of the mass fraction in exocarp and mesocarp expressed as gallic acid is 23 and 16 mg/g, respectively). The ethanol extracts of pomegranate exocarp and mesocarp showed the greatest antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Exophiala dermatitidis and Staphylococcus aureus, and the same water extracts against S. aureus and Escherichia coli. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first report of the characterisation of pomegranate genetic resources from Istria at different levels, including the molecular, chemical, antimicrobial and nutritional properties.

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