Phenolic Profile, Antioxidant Activity and Physicochemical Properties of Wild Pomegranate Juices

This study comprehensively characterized the chemical composition, phenolic profile, antioxidant activity, and physicochemical properties of wild pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juices collected from three regions of Herzegovina (Ljubuški, Neum, and Stolac). Juices obtained by mechanical pressing of fully ripe fruits were analyzed for total acidity, ascorbic acid content, total soluble solids, density, total phenolics, flavonoids, non-flavonoid phenols, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity using DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays. Individual phenolic compounds were quantified by HPLC-DAD. Statistically significant regional differences (p < 0.05) were observed for all analyzed parameters. Total phenolic content ranged from 807.78 mg/L in Stolac to 998.01 mg/L in Ljubuški. Flavonoid concentrations were high across all samples, ranging from 718.60 mg/L (Stolac) to 734.71 mg/L (Neum), with no pronounced differences among locations. In contrast, non-flavonoid phenols showed marked regional variability, with values of 89.18 mg/L in Stolac, 167.11 mg/L in Neum, and 271.14 mg/L in Ljubuški. Anthocyanin content ranged from 463.51 to 681.83 mg/L, with the highest concentrations recorded in Stolac. Ascorbic acid content (79.61–96.31 mg/100 g) exceeded most values reported for cultivated pomegranate varieties. Antioxidant activity varied significantly among samples and showed strong positive correlations with total phenolic content, particularly in the FRAP and DPPH assays. The results confirm that wild pomegranate juices from Herzegovina are characterized by a rich phenolic composition and high antioxidant potential.