Optimal Conditions for Pomegranate Peel Enzymatic Extraction of Phenolics Using Response Surface Methodology and Comparative Analysis With Traditional Soxhlet Extraction

This study introduces a tannase‐focused enzyme‐assisted extraction (EAE) approach that modifies phenolics in pomegranate peel, significantly boosting antioxidant activity under mild processing conditions. The EAE method yields higher extract yields (≈70%) and antioxidant activity (≈74%) than Soxhlet extraction. Although the Soxhlet method yielded a slightly higher phenolic content (≈196 mg EAE/g), its antioxidant activity was lower (≈67%). The higher TPC extraction parameter, as determined by Soxhlet, does not correlate with biological activity due to the possible thermal degradation of the antioxidants, which reduces the actual biological activity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the structural changes before and after processing revealed that EAE caused cell wall disruption and surface roughness, enhancing bioactive compound release and polyphenol extraction efficiency. Statistical analyses (RSM and ANOVA) confirmed the adequacy and high predictive accuracy of the optimization model for TPC and AA ( R 2 > 0.96), which indicates its reliability. This study suggests that EAE, optimized using RSM, represents a greener alternative to conventional techniques, offering both efficiency and sustainability in the valorization of food products.