Extraction Kinetics and Properties of Proanthocyanidins from Pomegranate Peel

With an objective of developing a safe and efficient method to extract proanthocyanidins products from pomegranate peel for use in nutraceuticals or as food additives, the effects of extraction parameters on the production efficiency, product properties, and extraction kinetics were systematically studied. The results showed that both extraction temperature and water–material ratio had significant effects on the proanthocyanidins content, but the yield was significantly affected only by temperature. The moderate temperature and water–material ratio were beneficial to maintain high proanthocyanidins scavenging activity and good product quality. The second-order extraction and Arrhenius kinetic models were developed and successfully used to predict the proanthocyanidins yield for given conditions tested. Extraction temperature of 60°C, water–material ratio of 30:1 g g −1 , and time of 10 min are recommended for proanthocyanidins extraction from pomegranate peel, which corresponded to the highest yield of 40.6 mg g −1 and content of 89.1 mg g −1 having a scavenging activity of 31.5 g g −1 , and an attractive reddish yellow color.