Characterization of Fermented Pomegranate Juice: ACE Inhibitory Activity under in Vitro Digestion, Antioxidant Capacity, Phenolics Composition, Chemical Properties and Sensory Evaluation

Consuming pomegranate juice (PJ) is beneficial for hypertensive regulation because of the phenolic compounds in PJ and their inhibitory activity on angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE). To better utilize bioactive function of food, microorganism fermentation has been adopted to alter phenolic metabolism. This study confirms that even under in vitro digestion, fermented PJ (FPJ) maintains higher ACE inhibitory activity than that of PJ. The main phenolic compounds in PJ were compared either under fermentation or in vitro digestion. This study finds that fermentation promotes antioxidant capacity of PJ. The chemical properties of FPJ are evaluated and the corresponding relationship with bioactivities is analyzed. A sensory evaluation comparison is conducted between FPJ and PJ, furnishing interesting information for consumers. This study highlights the relationship between ACE inhibitory activity of PJ and phenolic composition under fermentation and in vitro digestion, providing novel insights for diet regulation of phenolic-rich FPJ in ACE inhibition therapy.