Pomegranate can be used as a natural preservative

By Maria Luiza De Grandi, journalist of Ciência Rural, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil and Gilberto Rogério Zago, food technician, Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS), Sertão, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Widely consumed in the east and of ancient importance for human history, the pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), fruit of the pomegranate tree, contains a high concentration of antioxidant and phenolic compounds (chemical structures that can have preventive or curative effects on physiological disorders in the human being). According to Jiang and Xiong (2016), natural antioxidants are a viable and interesting option to increase the shelf life of meat and meat products. Using pomegranate as a natural antioxidant, researchers from the Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF) and Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS) presented The article “Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel lyophilized extract delays lipid oxidation in tuscan sausages”, published in the Ciência Rural (vol. 50, no. 4).

For the development of the research, extracts of pomegranate peel were prepared, with the fruits washed in drinking water and immersed in sodium hypochlorite (2.5%) for 15 minutes, weighing them whole and classifying them in peel, pulp and seeds for production estimate. The shells were ground in a cyclone plant and the resulting powder was stored in a container until analysis. Pomegranate peel powder was used in different concentrations, as a natural antioxidant, to increase lipid stability, that is, the percentage of fat, of Tuscan type sausage.

Image: Fruchthandel_Magazin.

The research showed results that demonstrate that Upon receiving the addition of 0.05% and 0.1% of the extract powder (lyophilized) of the pomegranate peel, the sausages maintained their lipid stability. According to researcher Gilberto Zago, economically, if produced on an industrial scale, pomegranate peel extract is still unviable due to its high cost and low yield. “The research shows that there are natural products that can be used with characteristics and antioxidant properties equivalent to the synthetic products commercially used by the meat industry”, adds Gilberto. Pomegranate peel extracts are, therefore, a promising natural alternative to maintain the lipid stability of Tuscan sausages, promoting protection and being able to bring benefits to the health of the pomegranate.

Reference

JIANG, J. and XIONG, Y.L. Natural antioxidants as food and feed additives to promote health benefits and quality of meat products: A review. Meat Science [online]. 2016, vol. 120, pp. 107-117, ISSN: 0309-1740 [viewed 17 June 2020]. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.04.005. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174016300973

To read the article, access it

ZAGO, G.R., et al. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel lyophilized extract delays lipid oxidation in tuscan sausages. Cienc. Rural [online]. 2020, vol. 50, no. 4, e20190689, ISSN: 1678-4596 [viewed 17 June 2020]. DOI: 10.1590/0103-8478cr20190689. Available from: http://ref.scielo.org/btqy82