Evaluation of physicochemical and functional attributes of whey powder incorporated with pomegranate peel extract

•Pomegranate peel extract on the properties of whey powder has been determined.•Phenolic content and antioxidant activity are increased significantly.•Interaction between proteins and polyphenols has been observed.•Exothermic events and viscosity are altered significantly.•Hygroscopicity increased and large aggregates of particles are formed. A study has been conducted to evaluate the effect of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) (1, 2 and 3%) on physico-chemical and functional attributes of whey powder such as total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid, proanthocyanidin, alkaloid, antioxidant activity, colour profile, protein-polyphenol interaction, rheology, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), moisture adsorption isotherm (MAI) and microstructure. The TPC (1.02–27.80 mg/g), flavonoid (1.08–10.93 mg/g), proanthocyanidin (0.62–5.82 mg/g), alkaloid (0.63–2.28%), antioxidant activity (ABTS, 16.61–88.01%; DPPH, 17.02–49.34%), redness (2.33–8.05) and yellowness (27.77–32.24) were increased significantly (P