Available online at http://journalofagroalimentary.ro                _______________________________________________ Corresponding author: email: dan_hadaruga@yahoo.com Solvent influence on the antioxidant activity of pomegranate extracts Corina Iuliana Costescu 1 , Daniela Rus 1 , Nicoleta G. Hădărugă 1 , Veronica Pogor 1 , Mădălina Badea 1 , Evelyn Mateican 1 , Raymond Szakal 1 , Petru Olaru 1 , Daniel Ioan Hădărugă 2* 1 Department of Food Science, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael Iof Romania”Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 – Timisoara, Romania 2 Department of Applied Chemistry, Organic and Natural Compounds Engineering, Polytechnic University of Timisoara, Carol Telbisz 6, 300001Timisoara, Romania Received: 16 Novmber 2014; Accepted: 15 December 2014 ____________________________________________________________________________________  In this study we tried to assess the antioxidant activity of different parts of pomegranate fruit extracts (Punica granatum). In order to determine the antioxidant activity it was used the 2,2diphenyl1picryl hydrazyl method and were studied seeds or whole fruits of pomegranate, respectively crushed seeds. The solvent used for the extraction was ethanolwater solution of various concentrations, including distilled water. : pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum), antioxidant activity, DPPH ______________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction Pomegranate (Punica granatum), is a fruit that grows on small trees and it’s widely used in various food products, juices and alcoholic beverages. It has it’s origins in Iran and is cultivated since antiquity. Nowadays, it is cultivated mainly in the Mediterranean, in the Middle East and in Caucasus region. Also, it can be found in North and Tropical Africa, Central and SouthEast Asia, in California and Arizona [112]. In addition to culinary use, pomegranate has applications in traditional medicine, seeds and pomegranate juice being used for toning properties to the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Also, studies have been made for the pomegranate juice in terms of reducing the risk of developing cataracts [17]. From the chemical point of view, pomegranate seeds contain C and K vitamins, as well as polyphenols (such as ellagitanins) and flavonoids, which are an important source of fiber and micronutrients. It also contains punicic, palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids, and pomegranate juice contains estrone [810]. Pomegranate juice contains a large variety of polyphenols, among which A and B granatin, A, B, C and D punicacortein, 5Ogallailpunicacortein D, punicafolin, punigluconin, punicalagin, 1αO galloilpunicalagin, punicalin and 2Ogalloil punicalin. The red color of the pomegranate juice is given by anthocyanins (delphinidin, cyanidin, pelargonidinglycoside) and in pomegranate peels are prevailing catechins and gallocatechins (figure 1) [1 12].