February 18, 2026

gholamreza Abdi

Academic Rank: Assistant professor
Address: -
Degree: Ph.D in -
Phone: -
Faculty: Persian Gulf Research Institue

Research

Title Ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from pomegranate peel and seed: A comprehensive review of key parameters and optimization strategies
Type Article
Keywords
Acoustic cavitation Phenolic compounds Essential oil Response surface methodology (RSM) Box–Behnken design Green extraction
Journal ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2025.107722
Researchers Fatima shehzadi (First researcher) , Muhammad Shoaib (Second researcher) , Salman Munir (Third researcher) , gholamreza Abdi (Fourth researcher)

Abstract

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel and seeds are rich in phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, ellagitannins, tannins, and punicic acid, which exhibit potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Conventional extraction methods, such as maceration, Soxhlet extraction, and hydrodistillation, are limited by excessive solvent and energy consumption, prolonged extraction times, and degradation of thermolabile compounds. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) has emerged as a sustainable and efficient alternative, utilizing acoustic cavitation to disrupt cell walls, enhance solvent penetration, and accelerate mass transfer. This review presents a comprehensive and UAE-specific synthesis of research on pomegranate peel and seed bioactives, focusing on the effect of key parameters ultrasonic power, frequency, extraction time, temperature, solvent system, solid-to-solvent ratio, and particle size on extraction efficiency and compound stability. Optimization strategies based on Response Surface Methodology, Box-Behnken Design, and Artificial Neural Networks are critically discussed to demonstrate their roles in maximizing yield and predicting extraction performance. Structural and spectroscopic studies confirming ultrasound-induced morphological disruption and molecular interactions are also summarized. This review uniquely synthesizes UAE-specific process parameters, optimization models, and structural characterization for both pomegranate peel and seed within a green valorization framework. Comparative analysis highlights the UAE superior performance over conventional and hybrid methods (microwave-, enzyme-, or deep eutectic solvent-assisted extractions). The review also identifies persisting challenges related to process scale-up, standardization of reporting metrics, and in vivo bioavailability assessment. Overall, this work provides an updated framework for improving extraction efficiency and supports the green valorization of pomegra