ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIRADICAL PROPERTIES OF FRESHLY SQUEEZED AND INDUSTRIALLY PRODUCED POMEGRANATE JUICE

Introduction. Insufficient antioxidant capacity in the body creates the possibility
of oxidative stress. The stress-forming components are active forms of oxygen
and nitrogen, as well as free radicals. Pomegranate juice could be a good addition of antioxidants to the body’s internal antioxidant potency – mainly hydrophilic antioxidants.
Problem. Differences in antioxidant and antiradical properties of freshly squeezed and industrially produced pomegranate juice.
Objective. Determination of the total amount of antioxidants, evaluation of their
ability to reduce the potential of free radicals, and thus the amount of oxidative
stress, analyzing both freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, which is freely
available, and industrially produced juice.
Methods and materials. The research was performed at the Biochemistry
Scientific Laboratory of Riga Stradiņš University. Five pomegranates from Spain,
Turkey, Azerbaijan, South Africa and Egypt purchased at Riga Central Market and
stores; four industrially produced pomegranate juices from Azerbaijan, Turkey,
Georgia and Ukraine were analyzed. Folin-Ciocalteu reagent was used to determine the total polyphenol content [1]. The antiradical capacity in pomegranate juice samples was determined using DPPH method [2]. Determination of the ability of antioxidants to reduce the trivalent iron ion Fe3+ into iron (II) ion Fe2+ performed using FRAP method [3]. The data obtained in the study were processed and analyzed using MsExcel program.
Results and conclusions. The total content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant
activity and their ability differ between pomegranates from different growing
regions, as well as between industrially obtained juices from different countries –
the effect is due to several factors. Higher values in all three methods were obtained for juices from South Africa, Turkey, Spanish pomegranates and commercially available juices from Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Practical use of results: Consumption of juices with a high content of antioxidants could be a good addition of antioxidants to the body’s internal antioxidant potency.This knowledge can be used by nutritionists in their practice.