Bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential in Pomegranate fruits

The pomegranate tree is a widely used species, especially due to its medicinal importance, and its fruit is appreciated all over the world. The commercialisation of pomegranates has increased and aroused the interest of fruit growers in Brazil. The expansion of the cultivated area is due to the demand for the product from the pharmaceutical industry and the vision of expanding the use of the fruit for marketing in its natural form or industrialised, such as concentrated juice. However, knowledge of the quality of the aril during fruit development is incipient in the region. Therefore, this book provides information on the biochemical, physicochemical and antioxidant potential transformations that take place at each stage of the development of the Molar Pomegranate fruit, which is of great importance for pinpointing ripeness rates and defining the point at which the fruit should be harvested. Studies in this area should be very useful for producers in characterising the quality of the fruit and contributing to advances in the production sector and access to the species’ phytotherapeutic potential, as well as for researchers wishing to carry out further research in this area.