Pomegranate

Abstract

The pomegranate has a deep connection with Mediterranean, Middle East, and Near East culture, where the fruit has been long consumed as an important dietary constituent, venerated in symbolism, and greatly appreciated for its medicinal remedies. Recent trends demonstrate that the health-promoting effects and flavor-rich attributes of pomegranates are being appreciated and cherished by not only by the Western world but also by the rest of the world. Increased interest in pomegranate, in the view of postharvest physiology and technology, comes with the quests as to how to extend storage life, to maintain quality in terms of not only physical (firmness, color, etc.) but also chemical (phytonutrients) attributes, and to expand use of the fruit extract into the food industry.