SHANGHAI, CHINA – In response to surging consumer awareness and demand of pomegranate functional foods and dietary supplements (Datamonitor estimation of pomegranate sales in 2007 are at $23.1 million in natural supermarkets, conventional food, drug and mass outlets), Cactus Botanics has launched Pomegranate Peel (Hull) Powder Extract that features the added benefit of no potential rancidity, ensuring longer shelf life and purity.

Pomegranate Peel contains high amounts of punicaligin, the glycoside of ellagic acid, the active ingredient. Cactus Botanics’ proprietary process extracts the water-soluble punicaligin to ensure its complete stability and action through various food, beverage or dietary supplement applications.

In a recently published study (Food Research International [41 (2008) 194–200], researchers added pomegranate peel extracts derived from several solvent methods to refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) sunflower oil. Solvents used included methanol, ethanol, acetone, chloroform, ethyl acetate and water, with the methanol extract found to have the highest yield of antioxidant activity. The study authors (S. Iqbal et al.) concluded that pomegranate peel extract can stabilize sunflower oil effectively at all concentrations and that “…pomegranate peel can be recommended as a potent source of antioxidants for the stabilization of food systems, especially unsaturated vegetable oils.”

“As the market and understanding of the potential of pomegranate continues to grow, so too does the need for manufacturers to be able to utilize naturally derived antioxidants to stabilize their consumable products, for safety,” says Carol Cheow, General Manager of Cactus Botanics. “The beauty of pomegranate is that it also has powerful health-promoting properties and studies that support its action in various conditions, plus it is also water soluble, giving it tremendous added value and advantage.”