Potential antioxidant activity of pomegranate peel and seed extracts and synergism with added phenolic antioxidants in a liposome system: a preliminary study

Abstract

This study describes the use of liposomes as biological membrane models to evaluate the potential of natural antioxidants as inhibitors of lipid peroxidation. Antioxidative effects of by-products from the pomegranate juice industry, i.e., pomegranate peel (PPE) and seeds extracts (PSE) and combined antioxidative effects of PPE or PSE with a-tocopherol (TOH), quercetin (QC) and ascorbic acid (AA) on peroxidation of L-aphosphatidylcholine liposomes as initiated by lipophilic or hydrophilic azo-initiators were investigated. Extracts from PPE and PSE had an antioxidative effect as evidenced by a lag phase for formation of phosphatidylcholine-derived conjugated dienes. A combination of TOH or QC with PPE or PSE respectively, showed synergism in prolonging of the lag phase. Thus, the results of the present study show the possibility of utilising waste PPE or PSE