Pomegranate is an important source of bioactive compounds and has been used extensively in the folk medicine of many centuries. The objective of this study was to analyse and compare the physico-chemical characteristics and bioactive compounds of pomegranate juices obtained from six pomegranate cultivars grown in Iran. This study showed that there were significant differences among the cultivars in all measured factors. The total soluble solids content (°Brix) varied from 15.77 (Shirin-e-Bihaste) to 19.56 (Rabbab-e-Fars), pH values from 3.06 (Faroogh) to 3.74 (Shirin-e-Mohali), titrable acidity concentration (g/100 g) from 0.51 (Shirin-e-Bihaste) to 1.35 (Rabbab-e-Fars) and total sugars content (g/100 g) from 16.88 (Rabbab-e-Fars) to 22.76 (Faroogh). The highest and lowest level of total anthocyanins (mg/100 g) were recorded in Aghaye and Shahvar (27.73 and 7.93), respectively. The concentration of ascorbic acid (mg/100 g) was between 8.68 (Aghaye) and 15.07 (Shirin-e-Bihaste). The total phenolics content (mg tannic acid/100 g) ranged from 526.40 (Shahvar) to 797.49 (Aghaye). The total tannins level (mg tannic acid/100 g) was observed in the pomegranate cultivars between 18.77 (Shahvar) and 38.21 (Aghaye). The values of the condensed tannins (mg catechin/100 g) ranged from 12.14 (Shirin-e-Bihaste) to 12.57 (Aghaye). The antioxidant activity varied from 46.51 (Shahvar) to 52.71% (Aghaye). The results also showed that antioxidant activity was positively correlated with total phenolics (r = 0.912), total tannins (r = 0.838), condensed tannins (r = 0.859) and total anthocyanins (r = 0.928). These data suggested that the cultivar was the main parameter which influences the composition of bioactive compounds in pomegranates.

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