eng Enviro Research Publishers Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal 2347-467X 2322-0007 2026-06-05 14 Special Issue Sustainable Nutrition February 2026 26288 article Kritika Bansal 1 Avinash Sharma 2 Satyanshi Pundeer 2 Pankaj Kumar Chauhan 1 Mohammad Arham Siddiqui 3 Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Solan, India Department of Biotechnology, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun,Uttarakhand,India Department of Microbiology, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun,Uttarakhand, India Apples constitute a significant portion of global fruit cultivation, especially observed in temperate zones. This study evaluates the chemical, antibacterial, antioxidant, and phytochemical profiles, alongside the elemental composition, of apple pomace derived from three Himalayan cultivars i.e. Granny Smith, Fuji, and Golden Delicious. By using sophisticated analytical methodologies, this research work identifies Golden Delicious pomace as possessing the highest concentrations of total polyphenols (114.29 µg GAE/mg) and flavonoids (1448.33 µg RE/mg). This cultivar demonstrated superior antioxidant capacity, characterized by a radical scavenging activity (%RSA) of 80.95 ± 0.1% and an IC₅₀ value of 57.109 µg/ml.Analysis of the Golden Delicious extract via High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the presence of significant polyphenolic constituents, including quercetin (53.021 mg/100 g), gallic acid (2.582 mg/100 g), p-coumaric acid (21.287 mg/100 g) and chlorogenic acid (4.709 mg/100 g). Conversely, Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) demonstrated that Granny Smith pomace contained the highest proportions of essential minerals, specifically potassium (6785.61 mg/100 g), sodium (401.55 mg/100 g), and iron (175.58 mg/100 g). Furthermore, the identification of bioactive volatile compounds, including DDMP, maltose, n-hexadecanoic acid, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, highlights the complex aromatic and flavouring properties of the pomace.These findings underscore the significant bioactivity and nutritional value of apple pomace, suggesting its viability for integration into nutraceutical formulations, functional foods, and sustainable food processing frameworks. Future research should prioritize the investigation of the bioavailability and therapeutic potential of these bioactive species to fully realize their applications within the pharmaceutical and food industries. https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/vol14nospl-issue-sustainable-nutrition-2026/phytochemical-and-elemental-profiling-of-himalayan-apple-pomace-cultivars-using-hplc-icp-oes-and-gc-ms-a-multi-technique-analytical-stud/ Apple pomace Bioactive compounds GC-MS HPLC Himalayan cultivars ICP-OES