Proportion of flavonoids and condensed tannins in the extracts
constituted only a small part of the total phenolics. Hydrolyzable
tannins contributed to total phenolics with significant amount in
pomegranate peels. Total extract yield of PWE was close to that
of methanol extraction.
The superiority of PWE method on methanol extraction was the
total extraction time per one extraction cycle which took approximately
15 min for PWE and 1 h for methanol extraction. On the
other hand, there is no need to evaporate the water in the extracts
of PWE if it would be processed by spray drier or the other high
temperature dependent drying methods. The other advantages of
water as an extraction solvent are easily accessible, non-toxic,
environmentally friendly, and non-hazardous to operator health