Vol. 40 No. 3 (2026):
Articles

Fruit morphological and biochemical diversity in five Algerian pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) genotypes

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  • M. Licir,
  • C. Chaouia,
  • Y. Mouas,
  • N.E. Dehbaoui,
  • N. Touzout,
  • R. Ahmad,
  • M.F. Saeed,
  • J. Černý,
  • A. Jamal
M. Licir
Laboratoire de Biotechnologie des Productions Végétales, Département de Biotechnologies et Agro-écologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Saad Dahlab de Blida 1, B.P. 270, Route Soumaa, Blida 09000, Algeria.
C. Chaouia
Laboratoire de Biotechnologie des Productions Végétales, Département de Biotechnologies et Agro-écologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Saad Dahlab de Blida 1, B.P. 270, Route Soumaa, Blida 09000, Algeria.
Y. Mouas
Laboratoire de Biotechnologie des Productions Végétales, Département de Biotechnologies et Agro-écologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Saad Dahlab de Blida 1, B.P. 270, Route Soumaa, Blida 09000, Algeria.
N.E. Dehbaoui
Unité de recherche de développement des grandes cultures, Institut Technique des Grandes Cultures, 1 Rue Pasteur-Hassan Badi B.P. 16, El Harrach 16200, Algeria.
N. Touzout
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Pole Urban Ouzera, University of Medea, 26000, Medea, Algeria.
R. Ahmad
Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.
M.F. Saeed
Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus 61100, Vehari, Pakistan.
J. Černý
Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
A. Jamal
Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Crop Production Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Pakistan.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-19233
Categories

Published 2026-09-30

Keywords

  • Fruit quality traits,
  • genotypes,
  • physicochemical characteristics,
  • Punica granatum L.,
  • seed traits

How to Cite

Licir, M., Chaouia, C., Mouas, Y., Dehbaoui, N. E., Touzout, N., Ahmad, R., Saeed, M. F., Černý, J., & Jamal, A. (2026). Fruit morphological and biochemical diversity in five Algerian pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) genotypes. Advances in Horticultural Science, 40(3), 295–306. https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-19233

Copyright (c) 2026 Mourad Licir, Cherifa Chaouia, Yamina Mouas, Nasser Eddine Dehbaoui, Nabil Touzout, Riaz Ahmad, Muhammad Farhan Saeed, Jakub Černý, Aftab Jamal

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an ancient fruit linked to several cultures worldwide. It ranks as the second most valuable fruit crop in the Algerian Messaad region, after apricots, in terms of cultivated area, and is widely consumed in traditional dishes and juices, while being recognized for its therapeutic properties as a herbal remedy. Despite its importance, this fruit remains poorly studied in the region, with limited research addressing its productivity and characteristics. Local pomegranate genotypes possess distinct qualities that make them suitable for fresh consumption or processing. Therefore, evaluating local genotypes is essential to understand their physicochemical characteristics, nutritional composition, and potential contribution to the development of pomegranate cultivation and local agriculture. To achieve this goal, five pomegranate genotypes (‘Hamraye’, ‘Snin Laâloudj’, ‘El Karess’, ‘Tounsi’, and ‘Khadraye’) were evaluated based on laboratory analysis and the UPOV script to compare 27 fruit and seed parameters, including the physical characteristics of fruits, arils and seeds, and chemical properties of the juice, during two consecutive seasons (2023 and 2024). The studied genotypes revealed remarkable morphological and biochemical characteristics. The results showed that ‘Snin Laâloudj’ and ‘Tounsi’ had high sweetness (TS: 14.35 and 15.8 g 100 mL-1), with a significant juice yield of 77.37 and 79.96%, respectively, together with a significant chemical composition, especially for ‘Snin Laâloudj’. ‘El Karess’ is a unique cultivar with its sour-sweet taste (pH= 2.85), a significant juice yield of 71.28%, and a larger fruit and grain shape. However, ‘Khadraye’ and ‘Hamraye’ had the lowest values among the 27 studied variables. These findings demonstrate that local genotypes can provide valuable insights into the potential industrial use of ‘Elkares’ and the nutritional applications of other genotypes.

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