From by-product to functional ingredient: Tracking the thermally driven phenolic transformation and optimized antioxidant activity in pomegranate peel-derived carbon using delayed luminescence as an exploratory tool

As a major by-product of juice processing, pomegranate peel holds significant valorization potential in sustainable food industries. However, conventional complete carbonization for adsorbent production destroys its bioactivity. This study proposes an innovative strategy based on controlled thermal processing to convert pomegranate peel into a novel solid food ingredient with integrated antioxidant functionality. Effects of different temperatures and durations on the phenolic composition, in vitro antioxidant activity, and safety (benzo[a]pyrene content) of the processed material were systematically investigated. The results showed that processing at 200 °C for 10 min yielded the optimal antioxidant activity, strongly linked to punicalagin enrichment. Subsequently, delayed luminescence was introduced as a process analytical tool. The key parameter Y0 (representing initial photon intensity) exhibited strong correlations with both punicalagin content and antioxidant activity, indicating its potential as a rapid, non-destructive indicator to monitor the evolution of key functional components during thermal processing. This work establishes a scientific foundation for intelligently converting pomegranate peel into a value-added food ingredient via a synergistic approach including controlled heating, targeted phytochemical regulation, and exploration of a physical signal indicator. Subject to independent validation, this exploratory indicator holds promise for supporting quality assessment in similar thermal processing applications.

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