Combined use of hydrocolloids in pomegranate juice and their effects on clarification and copigmentation

Pomegranate juices (PJs) were clarified using hydrocolloids albumin (A), casein (C), chitosan (CH) and xanthan gum (XG)] and in combination with each other. The lowest turbidity was observed in PJs clarified with ‘CH+XG’ and ‘A+C+CH’. Unlike ‘CH+XG’, effects of albumin and its combinations on clarity were mainly related with the contents of ellagic acid (r = ?0.861), α-punicalagin (r = ?0.761), rutin (r = ?0.734), β-punicalagin (r = ?0.730) and total punicalagin (r = ?0.713). ‘CH+XG’ caused the highest phenolic (602 mg L^?1) and anthocyanin (449 mg L^?1) contents, and the second highest A_max (0.811 ABS), resulting from copigmentation of delphinidin-3-glucoside and delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside with CH. Since A showed moderate copigmentation effect, A had lower hyperchromic effect than CH. Moreover, C reduced A_max, anthocyanin content and colour density when combined with other hydrocolloids. As a result, ‘CH+XG’ would be the best combination to obtain high clarity, maintain phenolics and anthocyanins and provide high copigmentation effect in PJ.