Analysis of antioxidant properties of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Peel extract: Voltammetric, spectrophotometric, and in silico studies as a potential antidiabetic candidate

• Pomegranate peel water extract (PPE) was evaluated using in vitro and in silico approaches. • Voltammetric and DPPH assays confirmed the strong antioxidant activity of PPE. • Electrochemical analysis revealed both electroactive and non-electroactive antioxidant compounds. • PPE showed moderate α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 176.73 µg/mL). • Molecular docking indicated punicalagin had a stronger binding affinity to α-glucosidase than acarbose. Pomegranate ( Punica granatum L.) peel, a common byproduct of the agroindustry, contains important antioxidant compounds. This study investigates the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of pomegranate peel water extract (PPE) using both in vitro and in silico approaches. We evaluated the antioxidant activity using the voltammetric method and DPPH assays, supported by the determination of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The direct antioxidant voltammetric evaluation revealed the presence of strong antioxidant compounds with an electrochemical index of 1.12 µA/mV. When the PPE was tested indirectly using K 3 Fe(CN) 6 solution, the electrochemical index was increased up to 168.0 µA/mV, indicating a synergistic effect of both electroactive and non-electroactive antioxidant compounds. The DPPH assays also support the presence of strong antioxidant compounds with an IC 50 of 17 µg/mL. TPC and TFC values were 8.14 ± 0.373 µg GAE/g dry extract and 1.69 ± 0.003 µg QE/g dry extract, respectively. The antidiabetic potency was analyzed via α-glucosidase inhibition assay, yielding an IC₅₀ of 176.73 µg/mL for PPE. The molecular docking demonstrated that punicalagin, a major bioactive compound present in PPE, exhibited strong binding affinity to α-glucosidase enzyme (−10.42 kcal/mol), surpassing that of acarbose (−10.16 kcal/mol). These findings suggest that PPE is a promising natural source of antioxidant and antidiabetic agents, with potential applications in functional food or therapeutic formulations.