Evolution of fruit maturation of some pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars in two Mediterranean areas

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits are appreciated and being used more and more for their antioxidant activity and health-promoting effects for reducing the risk of many human diseases. Several studies confirmed that cultivar, pedoclimatic condition and maturity status affect the organoleptic, nutritional and functional quality of the fruit, as these are related with the accumulation and bioavailability of some components, including sugars, lipids, proteins, organic acids, minerals, phenols, carotenoids and vitamins. In this species, the attractive reddish color of the arils is due to the presence of anthocyanins, water-soluble polyphenolic pigments very sensitive to environmental condition and with well-known antioxidant activity. In this work some important genotypes, cultivated in two Mediterranean areas of Spain and Italy, were studied along their ripening process in order to elucidate their qualitative traits and any effect of environmental conditions on these. Fruits of ‘Mollar de Elche’, ‘Valenciana’ and ‘Wonderful’ were obtained from the experimental field stations of Miguel Hernández University in the province of Alicante, Spain and of the University of Catania in the province of Catania, Italy. Three harvest times in 2015 (from mid-September to mid-October) were considered in order to evaluate the maturation pattern of each cultivar in each cultivation area. Results evidenced how the peculiar environmental conditions of each area are involved in the enhancement of some qualitative aspects of the fruits of selected genotypes. This is particularly true for fruit color and especially for its evolution along maturation. On the whole the higher average temperatures registered in Alicante area, determined a faster evolution of maturation process in all the tested cultivars. The acidity levels of ‘Wonderful’ resulted to be about tenfold higher than those of the other tested cultivars, independently from the cultivation area, confirming a peculiar qualitative profile for this cultivar.