Soft-Seeded Pomegranate (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Punica granatum</Emphasis> L.) Varieties: Preliminary Characterization and Quality Changes of Minimally Processed Arils During Storage

A preliminary characterization of two new soft-seeded pomegranate varieties (MR-100® and KINGDOM®) based on their main physico-chemical and nutritional parameters was reported. The two varieties showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in polyphenols, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity. Kingdom pomegranate had higher polyphenols (2524.73 mg GAE/L), anthocyanins (752.49 mg C₃gE/L) and antioxidant activity (EC₅₀ 13.58 μL/mL) than MR-100 (1792.74 mg GAE/L, 141.29 mg C₃gE/L and EC₅₀ 47.53 μL/mL, respectively). Moreover, minimally processed arils of the two varieties were packaged in semipermeable and micro-perforated film at 5 °C, and the quality changes that occurred during storage condition (15 days) were investigated. During storage, Kingdom arils exhibited a better performance in terms of antioxidant activity, polyphenols and anthocyanin content with respect to MR-100. Furthermore, the packaging systems did not affect the estimated quality parameters for both varieties. Based on the sensory evaluation and microbial counts, both aril varieties reached, at 15-day storage, suitable values for commercial purpose.