This study revealed polyphenolic content, nutritive content, antioxidant activity, and phenolic profile of methanol and aqueous extracts of Punica granatum peel extract. For this, extracts were screened for possible antioxidant activities by free radical scavenging activity (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The total phenolics and flavonoid recovered by methanolic (MPE) and the water extract (AQPE) were ranged from 185？±？12.45 to 298.00？±？24.86？mg GAE (gallic acid equivalents)/gm and 23.05？±？1.54 to 49.8？±？2.14 quercetin (QE) mg/g, respectively. The EC50 of herbal extracts ranged from 100 μg/ml (0.38 quercetin equivalents), for AQPE, 168 μg/ml (0.80 quercetin equivalents), for MPE. The phenolic profile in the methanolic extracts was investigated by chromatographic (HPLC) method. About 5 different flavonoids, phenolic acids, and their derivatives including quercetin (1), rutin (2), gallic acid (3), ellagic acid (4), and punicalagin as a major ellagitannin (5) have been identified. Among both extracts, methanolic extract was the most effective. This report may be the first to show nutritive content and correlation analysis to suggest that phenols and flavonoids might contribute the high antioxidant activity of this fruit peel and establish it as a valuable natural antioxidant source applicable in the health food industry. 1. Introduction Nature still obliges as the man’s primary source for the cure of his ailments. Research in preventive medicine showed the importance of functional nutrition in reducing the risk factor of certain chronic diseases. Innate defense system of the human body may be insufficient for the damage caused by continued oxidative stress [1]. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are, in general, considered to be cytotoxic and are implicated in the progression of cancer, inflammation, radiation injury, and aging [2]. Growing scientific evidence has shown adverse side effects, like liver damage and mutagenesis, of synthetic antioxidants [3]. Therefore, recently there has been an upsurge of interest in natural products as antioxidants, as they inhibit the free radical reactions and protect human body from various diseases, such as cancer and diabetes [4]. Recent studies showed that a number of plant products including polyphenolic substances (e.g., gallocatechins, delphinidin, cyanidin, gallic acid, ellagic acid, pelargonidin and sitosterol) and various plants or herbal extracts exert potent antioxidant actions, which are very well known for their healing powers [5]. The
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