Repurposing pomegranate fruit wastes for nanobiotechnological applications in emerging circular bioeconomy

Abstract

Pomegranate is an important plant of antiquity, which has been explored for its ethnomedicinal purposes due to its rich phytochemistry. Its cultivation is global, traversing Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, South America, and North America. In processing its fruit, huge waste in the form of peel is generated, which also contains several potent biomolecules. The richness in polyphenolic and other bioactive compounds make the plant an ideal tool in green chemistry for the production of nanoparticles. Thus, its various parts - leaf, seed, juice and peel have been reported for the green synthesis of carbon-based, metal, metal oxide and alloy nanoparticles under facile, benign and eco-friendly conditions. In extending advances in circular bioeconomy for sustainable development, we surveyed the extensive research efforts on the utilization of pomegranate in green nanotechnology highlighting the biomedical, environmental, food and agricultural applications, identification of gaps in knowledge, and proposition for future studies. This effort is central towards promoting pomegranate nanobiotechnology, which is a useful compendium to direct future research in this area.