AGRONOMICAL, PHYSICOCHEMICAL, AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MEXICAN POMEGRANATES AS COMPARED TO WONDERFUL POMEGRANATE

Punica granatum is a naturalized species in Mexico, and the actual variability is the result of informal processes of continuous introduction, sexual propagation, selective propagation and only recently, intentional hybridization and selection.
Recent imports pushed development of property cultivars with traits competitive to the international standard cultivars ‘Wonderful’ and ‘Mollar’, but maintaining valuable traits such as summer bearing and high productivity.
High content of interesting phytochemicals with antioxidant properties is also a paramount breeding goal.
In this paper we describe four improved cultivars obtained at the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) suitable for cultivation in central semiarid Mexico.
The cultivar ‘37-5’ presented outstanding content of punicalagin, a compound highly valuable for nutriceutical applications.
The cultivar ‘37-12’ presented higher juice yield than ‘Wonderful’, lower acidity, and was richer in bioactive compounds.
The vitamin C content of the juice of cultivars ‘37-5’, ‘36-11’ and ‘37-12’ also surpassed ‘Wonderful’, properties that in turn are associated to superior antioxidant activity.

III International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits

C. Mondragón-Jacobo, G. Hernández-Herrera, S.H. Guzmán-Maldonado

breeding, Punica granatum, phytochemicals, functional properties

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1089.39