Abstract
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) has been used in traditional herbal medicine by several cultures as an anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and for treatment and prevention of cancer and other diseases. Different parts of the fruit, extraction methods, and solvents can define the chemical profile of the obtained extracts and their biological activities. This study aimed to characterize the chemical profile of peel extracts collected using different extraction solvents and their biological effects on the cell cycle and apoptosis of THP‐1 leukemic cells. Aqueous extract presented the highest content of punicalagins (α pun = 562.26 ± 47.14 mg/L and β pun = 1,251.13 ± 22.21 mg/L) and the lowest content of ellagic acid (66.38 ± 0.21 mg/L), and it promoted a significant impairment of the cell cycle S phase. In fact, punicalagin‐enriched fraction, but not an ellagic acid‐enriched fraction, caused an S phase cell cycle arrest. All extracts increased the number of apoptotic cells. Punicalagin‐enriched fraction increased the percentage of cells with fragmented DNA, which was intensified by ellagic acid combination. The treatment combining punicalagin and ellagic acid fractions increased the apoptotic cleaved PARP1 protein and reduced the activation of the growth‐related mTOR pathway. Thus, these results evidence that solvent choice is critical for the phenolic compounds profile of pomegranate peel extracts and their biological activities.
Highlights
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a native plant from the Middle East, which has been used in traditional herbal medicine by several cultures (Adhami, Khan, & Mukhtar, 2009; Jurenka, 2008)
We observed a significant increase in the percentage of cells with fragmented DNA in the treatment with punicalagin-enriched extract (Pun) in about 5 times that was intensified to almost seven times by addition of ellagic acid-enriched fraction to the treatment (EA + Pun) (Figure 7)
After the treatment with the enriched fractions, we evaluated some protein contents related to cell growth and apoptosis
Summary
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a native plant from the Middle East, which has been used in traditional herbal medicine by several cultures (Adhami, Khan, & Mukhtar, 2009; Jurenka, 2008). Pomegranate juice or extracts have been used as a complement for the treatment and prevention of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and others (El-Hadary & Ramadan, 2019; Jurenka, 2008; Karwasra et al, 2019; Lansky & Newman, 2007; Orgil, Spector, Holland, Mahajna, & Amir, 2016). Pomegranate has shown potential in the treatment of several tumors by inhibition of proliferation in colon, breast, lung, pancreatic, and prostate cancer cells in vitro (Adhami et al, 2009; Panth, Manandhar, & Paudel, 2017). Few studies have investigated the potential of pomegranate, let alone its peel extracts, for the treatment or prevention of leukemia (Asmaa, Ali, Farid, & Azman, 2015; Dahlawi, Jordan-Mahy, Clench, & Le Maitre, 2012; Dahlawi, Jordan-Mahy, Clench, McDougall, & Maitre, 2013)
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