Abstract

Pomegranates are renowned for being an abundant source of beneficial metabolites, particularly polyphenols, which possess significant health-promoting properties including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. However, the plant’s slow growth rate and limited metabolite synthesis render existing extraction methods insufficient to meet the increasing demand for these valuable compounds. To overcome these challenges, biotechnological strategies, such as pathway engineering, micropropagation, and in vitro culture techniques, have been implemented to enhance the production of these essential compounds. Despite these advancements, the biosynthetic pathways responsible to produce these compounds in pomegranates remain largely unexplored. This review examines the latest developments in biotechnological approaches, including micropropagation, in vitro culture systems, and synthetic pathway development, aimed at augmenting metabolite production. It further investigates the key enzymes, mechanisms, and regulatory factors involved in the production of these compounds. Overall, this review provides insights into the progress in biotechnological methods and the biosynthetic pathways of metabolites in pomegranates.