*2.5. Characterisation of Dried Arils*

Dried pomegranate arils were ground into powder using liquid nitrogen followed by extraction of 5 g sample in 50 mL of distilled water. For 5 min the mixture was vortexed and sonicated for 15 min in an ultrasonic bath. This was followed by centrifugation at 10,000 rpm for 25 min and recovery of the supernatant for TSS, TA and pH measurements. For phytochemical properties and antioxidant capacity, the same extraction procedure was followed using 50% methanol.

### *2.6. Chemical Properties*

Total Soluble Solids and Titratable Acidity Determination

TSS was estimated using a digital hand refractometer (model PT-32; ATAGO, Tokyo, Japan) with the range of 0–32 ◦Brix, which was blanked with distilled water. For TA, 2 mL of the supernatant was diluted in seventy millilitres of distilled water and titrated against 0.2 N of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to a pH of 8.2 using a Metrohm 862 Compact titrosampler (Herisau, Switzerland).

#### *2.7. Determination of Phytochemical Properties*

#### 2.7.1. Total Phenolic Content (TPC)

Folin–Ciocalteu method using a methanolic extract of dried arils was used to determine the TPC [30]. A 0.05 mL of the supernatant was mixed with 0.45 mL of 50% methanol in a test tube followed by adding 0.5 mL Folin–Ciocalteu after 2 min. The mixture was then vortexed and kept in the dark for 10 min before adding 2% Na2CO3 and further incubated for 40 min in the dark. The absorbance of each sample was read at 520 nm in a UV-visible spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific technologies, Madison, USA) against a blank containing 50% methanol. Absorbance was compared with a standard curve (Gallic acid, 0–10 mg), and results were expressed as mg gallic acid equivalent per gram pomegranate dry matter (mg GAE/g DM).

### 2.7.2. Total Anthocyanin Content

By using the pH differential method, total anthocyanin content (TAC) was quantified [29]. In triplicates, 1 mL of extract was separately mixed with 9 mL of pH 1.0 and pH 4.5 buffers. Absorbance was measured at 520 and 700 nm in pH 1.0 and 4.5 buffers, and the result was expressed as cyanidin 3-glucoside using Equations (2) and (3):

$$\mathbf{A} = \left(\mathbf{A}\_{510} - \mathbf{A}\_{700}\right)\_{\text{pH 1.0}} - \left(\mathbf{A}\_{510} - \mathbf{A}\_{700}\right)\_{\text{pH 4}} \tag{2}$$

$$\text{Total monomer anticovanin} \left(\text{mg/mL}\right) = \frac{\text{A} \times \text{MW} \times \text{DF}}{\varepsilon \times \text{L}} \tag{3}$$

where A = Absorbance, ε = Cyd-3-glucoside molar absorbance (26,900), MW = anthocyanin molecular weight (449.2), DF = dilution factor and L = cell path length (1 cm). Results are expressed as equivalent per gram dry matter (mg C3gE/g DM).

#### *2.8. Antioxidant Capacity*

#### 2.8.1. Radical-Scavenging Activity (RSA)

The RSA was quantified in triplicate, according to Fawole et al. [30]. Aqueous methanolic extract of dried aril (0.015 mL) was diluted with methanol (0.735 mL) in test tubes, briefly under dim light shade, followed by adding 0.75 mL, 0.1 mM methanolic DPPH solution. For 30 min in the dark and at room temperature, the mixtures were incubated, and the absorbance was measured at 517 nm using a UV-vis spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific technologies, Madison, USA). Absorbance was compared with the standard curve (Trolox equivalent, 0–2.0 mM). The free-radical activity of dried aril was expressed as Trolox equivalent (mM) equivalent per gram dry matter (mM TE/g DM).
