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The chemical composition of 19 pomegranate cultivars was analysed to demonstrate the wide diversity among pomegranate juices. The individual phenolic compounds and anthocyanins were measured by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS-ESI. The antioxidant activity, total phenolics, organic acid, sugar profile and colour were also measured. Ten phenolic compounds (mainly hydrolysable tannins and ellagic acid derivatives) and six anthocyanins (especially cyanidin 3-O-diglucoside and cyanidin 3,5-O-diglucoside) were identified and quantified. Cultivars HIZ and WOND had the highest a* (6.50 and 6.52, respectively) value which corresponded to the highest total concentration of anthocyanins (259 and 217 µM of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, respectively) and antioxidant activity in the hydrophilic fraction (172 and 149 mg eq Trolox/100 mL, respectively). Total phenolic content ranged from 90 to 145 mg GAE/100 mL. The WOND cultivar presented the highest values in total organic acids (3.09 g/100 mL) and ME13 cultivar in sugars (15.3 g/100 mL).

Major derivatives of ellagic acid and antioxidant properties of 9 Spanish pomegranate cultivars were studied at two development stages: thinning and ripening. A total of 35 major derivatives of ellagic acid were identified by LC-PDA–QTOF/MS and quantified by UPLC-PDA methods; however, only 7 of them were found simultaneously in thinning and ripe fruits. The total content of derivatives of ellagic acid was higher in thinning fruits (3521–18,236 mg 100 g−1 dry matter, dm) than in ripe fruits (608–2905 mg 100 g−1 dm). Ripe fruits had lower values of the antioxidant activities than thinning fruits. In general, sour–sweet cultivars (PTO8 cultivar) had the highest value of derivatives of ellagic acid and antioxidant properties in pomegranates fruits. Experimental results clearly proved the potential of thinning pomegranate fruits for its use as supplement in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.