Evaluation of bioactive potential and phytochemical variation among Punica granatum var pleniflora genotypes

Pomegranate (Punica granatum var. pleniflora) flowers are distinguished by their high antioxidant activity due to their high content of phenolic compounds. Iranian pomegranate flowers have been traditionally used in medicine for centuries. The present study evaluated the growth traits and bioactive characteristics of Iranian pomegranate. The cultivars were selected from the same site at the Natural Resources Research Centre in Yazd, Iran, to ensure consistency in assessing the specified traits. The results showed high phenotypic diversity among the cultivars, with leaf dry weight and flower dry weight exhibiting the highest coefficients of variation. Furthermore, significant differences were observed among the cultivars regarding total phenolic compound content. The methanolic extract obtained from the flowers of Zinati-e-Saveh cultivar had the highest level of total phenols (119.33 mg GAE g-1 DW), total flavonoids (72.21 mg QE g-1 DW), anthocyanins (33.36 mg g-1 DW), hydrolyzable tannins (95.94 mg TA g-1DW), and IC50 activity (25.29 µg mL-1). Principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed significant differences among the studied cultivars based on their morphological and phytochemical characteristics. These findings suggest that the studied cultivars represent a valuable genetic resource for future breeding programs.