Determination of physical, chemical and antioxidant properties of pomegranate sauces sold in Turkish markets

This study aimed to determine the physical, chemical and antioxidant properties of pomegranate sauces sold in the Turkish markets. A total of eighteen pomegranate sauces, seventeen of which were purchased from the market, and one produced in a rotary evaporator, were analyzed with respect to antioxidant activity, titratable acidity, brix, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), pH, color, and sugar. The antioxidant activities of the samples were analyzed by six different methods, including DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil) radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), ABTS●+ radical scavenging capacity, total antioxidant capacity assay (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) methods. The highest and lowest antioxidant activity values were as follows, respectively: 5.23 and 822.69 mg AA/kg for the DPPH method, 57.94 and 2380.94 mg FeSO4/kg for the FRAP method, 660.47 and 3690.83 mg AA/kg for the TAC method, 23.06 and 11680.71 mg QEE/kg for the TFC method, and 123.54 and 9566.95 mg GAE/kg for the TPC method. In addition, HMF contents of the most samples were below the permissible limit value (50 mg/kg), while some of them showed a heterogeneous distribution between 4.58 and 103.68 mg/kg. Such a heterogeneous distribution of the HMF contents may be due to the factors such as raw materials and additives used in production, applied heat treatments, production processes, and storage conditions. As a result, HMF content in pomegranate sauce can be reduced below the permissible limit if the production conditions comply with the standards.