Pomegranate Compounds Research Articles

Phytochemical screening, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity activities, formulation, and characterization of a self-nanoemulsion system loaded with pomegranate (Punica granatum) seed oil

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a tree of the Punicaceae family that is widespread all over the world and has several types and therapeutic uses. The current study aimed to investigate the phytochemical compounds by GC analysis and carried out physical characterization of the pomegranate seed oil and its self-nanoemulsifying system. Then antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-lipase activities were investigated for both.The pomegranate seed oil was extracted, and its self-nanoemulsifying system was then prepared. Phytochemical compounds were analyzed by GC, and physical characterization was established of the pomegranate seed oil and its self-nanoemulsifying system. Then antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-lipase activities were investigated for both.The GC–MS analysis revealed that punicic acid, β-eleosteric acid, catalpic acid, α-eleosteric acid, and oleic acid were the most predominant compounds in pomegranate seed oil. Other active compounds like linoleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and α-linolenic acid were detected in trace percentages. The self-nanoemulsifying system was prepared using various concentrations of surfactant (Tween 80), co-surfactant (Span 80), and pomegranate seed oil. The selected formulation had a PDI of 0.229 ± 0.09 and a droplet size of 189.44 ± 2.1 nm. The free radical scavenging activity of pomegranate seed oil, the self-emulsifying system, and Trolox was conducted using DPPH. The oil-self-nanoemulsifying system showed potent antioxidant activity compared to Trolox. Also, pomegranate oil inhibited α-amylase with a weak IC50 value of 354.81 ± 2.3 µg/ml. The oil self-nanoemulsifying system showed potent activity compared to acarbose and had a weaker IC50 value (616.59 ± 2.1 µg/ml) and a potent IC50 value (43.65 ± 1.9 µg/ml) compared to orlistat.Pomegranate seed oil self-nanoemulsifying system could be applied in the future for the preparation of possible oral medications for the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress, diabetes, and obesity due to its high activity against free radical, amylase, and lipase enzymes compared to pomegranate seed oil itself and the references used. This study reveals that self-nanoemulsion systems can enhance oil drug formulations by improving pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, acting as drug reservoirs, and facilitating efficient oil release.

Transcription profile analysis for biosynthesis of flavor volatiles of Tunisian soft-seed pomegranate arils

Flavor is an important factor affecting the sensory of pomegranate and its products, which easily lose its freshness during processing and storage, but the biosynthesis of flavor-associated compounds is poorly understood until now. In this study, combining metabolome and transcriptome, flavor-associated attributes and volatile compounds of Tunisian pomegranate arils from 7 Chinese regions were studied. Depending on the different planting areas, there were significant differences in the content of sugars, organic acids and vitamin C. A total of 40 volatile compounds were characterized from all samples, of which 13 volatile compounds were common to all samples. There were 4 compounds showed higher contents in all samples, including 1-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, α-terpineol, and 2,4-di-tert-butyl phenol. According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, 5 differential accumulated metabolites, including palmitic acid, octanoic acid, lauric acid, decanoic acid, and myristic acid, were significantly enriched in the fatty acid biosynthesis for all samples. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed that 42 candidate flavor-associated differentially expressed genes and 9 transcription factors mainly located in 3 key modules. Hexanoic acid was an important metabolite, which was significantly correlated with 38 differentially expressed genes. Generally, complex regulatory networks were constructed in the study to identify structural genes and transcription factors which regulate the metabolism of volatile compounds in pomegranate. Our results provided new insights for understanding the difference in flavor biosynthesis and regulatory network of pomegranate arils.

An Insight into Anticancer Bioactives from Punica granatum (Pomegranate).

Cancer is one of the major reasons for mortality across the globe. Many side-effects are associated with the formulations available in the market, affecting the quality of life of the patients. This has caused the researchers to find an alternative source of medications, such as herbal medicine, showing a promising effect in anticancer treatment; one such source is Pomegranate, which belongs to the family Punicaceae. Punica granatum contains many polyphenols that have antioxidant, antidiabetic, and therapeutic effects in the treatment and management of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, as well as a favourable effect on anticancer therapy. Polyphenols like punicalin, punicalagin, and ellagic acid are a few of the many compounds responsible for the anticancer activity of pomegranate. Many preparations of pomegranate, such as Pomegranate Juice (PJ), Pomegranate Seed Oil (PSO), Pomegranate peel extract (PoPx), etc. are used in various clinical studies. These polyphenols show anticancer activity by either arresting the cell cycle in the G2/M phase, inducing apoptosis or damaging the DNA of tumor cells. This review explicitly discusses the role and mechanism of bioactives obtained from the pomegranate in the treatment and management of cancer. The chemical structure, properties, and role of pomegranate in the treatment of breast, lung, thyroid, colon, and prostate cancer have been focused on in detail. This review also discusses various targeted drug delivery approaches for tumour treatment as well as patented preparation of pomegranate compounds along with the ongoing clinical trials.

Phytochemicals, Antioxidant Activity and Identification of Phenolic Compounds by HPLC of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Peel Extracts

Pomegranate peel is food waste unfit to eat parts obtained during the production of pomegranate juice. The aim of this work is to study the effect of four different solvents (ethanol, isopropanol, hot and cold water) on phytochemicals screening, total phenolics content, total flavonoid content and antioxidants activity in pomegranate peels, as well as identification of phenolic compounds in extracts by HPLC. Phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, steroids and terpenoids were detected in all extracts. The highest total phenolics and total flavonoids were observed in ethanol extract of pomegranate peels (161.5 mg GAE/g and 70.65 mg Rutin/g), respectively. Furthermore, the ethanol extract of pomegranate peels showed the highest DPPH scavenging activity with the lowest IC50 value 14.6 μg/ml compared to other extracts. The high antioxidant activities may be due to the high contents of phenolics and flavonoids in pomegranate peel ethanol extract. HPLC analysis was used for the identification and quantitative determination of phenolic compounds in pomegranate peels extracts. The results revealed nine polyphenolic compounds including protocatechuic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, cinnamic acid, quinic acid, benzoic acid, syringic acid and iso-ferulic acid in pomegranate peels extracts. The obtained results confirmed that ethanol extract was the most abundant of phenolics compounds as compared to the other extracts. Finally, it can be concluded that pomegranate peel extracts can be used in various fields for being rich in natural antioxidants that have a medicinal and therapeutic impact.

The Effect of Pomegranate and Its Compounds on Breast Cancer: Review Article

Introduction: Pomegranate is a rich source of phytochemicals with high antioxidant effects, which has therapeutic effects in traditional and modern medicine. Pomegranate is effective in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory diseases, infectious and microbial diseases, neurological disorders and immunity. Today the role of pomegranate in various stages of cancer has also been proven. Since breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women, this study examined the effect of pomegranate in breast cancer. The articles used from the PubMed database were selected selectively using the words "pomegranate" or "Punica grantum" and "breast cancer". The results of studies have shown that pomegranate compounds can affect different stages of cancer in different ways, including: inhibiting aromatases, inhibiting cyclooxygenase enzymeseffects on heat shock proteins, transcriptional leukocyte zipper transcription factor, transcription factors of specific proteins, cell cycle .Also, it has been shown in some studies that pomegranate compounds canaffect different stages of cancerthroughanti-estrogenic activity, effect on 27-hydroxycholic cholesterol, changes in α and β estrogen receptors, Wnt / β-catenin signaling pathway, cancer cell adhesion and migration, effects on cytochrome p450, Caspase cascade, apoptosis and other pathways.

Preharvest application of methyl jasmonate increases crop yield, fruit quality and bioactive compounds in pomegranate 'Mollar de Elche' at harvest and during postharvest storage.

Previous reports have addressed the effectiveness of postharvest methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments on maintaining quality properties of pomegranate fruit during storage. However, there is no literature regarding the effects of preharvest MeJA treatments on pomegranate 'Mollar de Elche' crop yield, fruit ripening, quality attributes and bioactive compounds content (at harvest or after long-term storage), which were evaluated in this research. Preharvest MeJA treatments (1, 5, and 10 mmol L-1 ) increased pomegranate crop yield. MeJA at 1 and 5 mmol L-1 accelerated the on-tree ripening process, while it was delayed with 10 mmol L-1 . Losses in fruit weight, firmness and organic acids during storage at 10 °C were delayed in MeJA treated fruit, leading to quality maintenance. In addition, MeJA treatments improved arils colour due to increased concentration of total and individual anthocyanins, at harvest and during storage. Total phenolic and ascorbic acid contents and total antioxidant activity [hydrophilic (H-TAA) and lipophilic (L-TAA) fractions] were also higher in arils from treated pomegranate fruits than in controls. Preharvest treatments with MeJA could be a promising tool to improve pomegranate crop yield, fruit quality and its content in bioactive compounds at harvest and during storage. The higher effects were obtained with MeJA at 5 mmol L-1 dose, which could be the selected treatment for practical application purposes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Not-from-concentrate pilot plant 'Wonderful' cultivar pomegranate juice changes: Volatiles.

Pilot plant ultrafiltration was used to mimic the dominant U.S. commercial pomegranate juice extraction method (hydraulic pressing whole fruit), to deliver a not-from-concentrate (NFC) juice that was high-temperature short-time pasteurized and stored at 4 and 25°C. Recovered were 46 compounds, of which 38 were routinely isolated and subjected to analysis of variance to assess these NFC juices. Herein, 18 of the 21 consensus pomegranate compounds were recovered. Ultrafiltration resulted in significant decreases for many compounds. Conversely, pasteurization resulted in compound increases. Highly significant decreases in 12 consensus compounds were observed during storage. Principal component analysis demonstrated clearly which compounds were tightly associated, and how storage samples behaved very similarly, independent of temperature. Based on these data and previous work we reported, this solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method delivered a robust 'Wonderful' volatile profile in NFC juices that is likely superior qualitatively and perhaps quantitatively to typical commercial offerings.

DO PUNICALAGINS HAVE POSSIBLE IMPACT ON SECRETION OF STEROID HORMONES BY PORCINE OVARIAN GRANULOSA CELLS?

Punicalagin is a major component responsible for pomegranate's antioxidant properties. Punicalagin is the predominant ellagitannin of Punica granatum and present in two isomeric forms; punicalagin α and β. Punicalagins are metabolised to ellagic acid (antioxidant) and microorganisms present in colon can metabolize ellagic acid to urolithins – each other substances could be responsible for effect on cell intracellular mechanism. The aim of our study was to observe the effect of punicalagins on secretion of steroids hormones – progesterone and 17β-estradiol. Ovarian granulosa cells were cultivated during 24h without (control group) and with various doses (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 µg.ml-1) of pomegranate compounds – punicalagins. Steroid hormones progesterone and 17β-estradiol were evaluated by ELISA. Obtained results showed that the secretion of progesterone and 17β-estradiol by ovarian granulosa cells was not significantly (P≥0.05) influenced by punicalagins. In this pilot study no effects of punicalagins on porcine ovarian granulosa cells were found.

The Polyphenolics and Health Effects of Pomegranate

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a useful fruit which mostly consumed as fresh fruit and can also be used as a various of processed products. Reports proved pomegranate were beneficial to health. Polyphenolic compounds in pomegranate especially ellagitannin (hydrolyzed), anthocyanins, gallotannin,and ellagic acid can maintain oral hygiene, healthy skin from the effects of free radicals caused by UV radiation, has the ability to synthesize cholesterol, destroying free radicals in the human vascular system and can prevent prostate cancer. In vitro and in vivo test has shown the fruit is acting as anti diabetic drug, and hypolipidemic, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial, anti inflamation, and antiviral. This review presenting an overview about the bioactive compound contents, physiological and health function of the fruit.

The Polyphenolics and Health Effects of Pomegranate

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a useful fruit which mostly consumed as fresh fruit and can also be used as a various of processed products. Reports proved pomegranate were beneficial to health. Polyphenolic compounds in pomegranate especially ellagitannin (hydrolyzed), anthocyanins, gallotannin,and ellagic acid can maintain oral hygiene, healthy skin from the effects of free radicals caused by UV radiation, has the ability to synthesize cholesterol, destroying free radicals in the human vascular system and can prevent prostate cancer. In vitro and in vivo test has shown the fruit is acting as anti diabetic drug, and hypolipidemic, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial, anti inflamation, and antiviral. This review presenting an overview about the bioactive compound contents, physiological and health function of the fruit.

Pomegranate juice and prostate cancer: importance of the characterisation of the active principle.

Two exploratory clinical studies investigating proprietary pomegranate products showed a trend of effectiveness in increasing prostate-specific antigen doubling time in patients with prostate cancer. A recent clinical study did not support these results. We therefore analysed a lot of the marketed pomegranate blend for co-active pomegranate compounds. The high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to detect punicalagin, ellagic acid and anthocyanins. Total polyphenoles were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method using gallic acid as reference. The results show that the co-active compounds in the daily dose of the pomegranate blend were far below those previously tested and that the photometric assessment is not reliable for the standardisation of study medications. Not pomegranate but the low amount of co-active compounds in the proprietary pomegranate blend was responsible for its clinical ineffectiveness.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit polyphenols, punicalagin, ellagic acid and gallic acid, inhibit formation of advanced glycation endproducts by scavenging reactive carbonyl species (975.10)

Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) are a heterogeneous group of molecules produced from the non‐enzymatic condensation with reactants typically including a reducing sugar and a protein. The accumulation of AGEs in vivo plays an important role in the pathology of long‐term complications in diabetes. Inhibitors of AGEs, especially polyphenols which are antioxidants from dietary sources, have shown immense potential for diabetes mellitus management. The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the inhibitory effects of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit polyphenols, namely, punicalagin (PA), ellagic acid (EA) and gallic acid (GA), on the glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) using D‐fructose and methylglyoxal as glycating agents, and 2) to investigate the mechanisms of anti‐glycation effects of these pomegranate polyphenols by quantifying the levels of reactive dicarbonyl species in glycated BSA solutions. The HPLC and fluorescence spectroscopy data revealed that the pomegranate compounds showed more potent inhibitory effects on BSA glycation than the positive control aminoguanidine. Moreover, pomegranate compounds also exhibited carbonyl scavenger reactivity by reducing the level of methylglyoxal, a dicarbonyl compound known as an AGE precursor. In summary, our study suggests that pomegranate compounds reduce the formation of AGEs and one of the mechanisms of such anti‐glycation effect could be related to their trapping abilities of reactive dicarbonyl species.

The Pomegranate: Effects on Bacteria and Viruses That Influence Human Health

Pomegranates have been known for hundreds of years for their multiple health benefits, including antimicrobial activity. The recent surge in multidrug-resistant bacteria and the possibility of widespread global virus pandemics necessitate the need for additional preventative and therapeutic options to conventional drugs. Research indicates that pomegranates and their extracts may serve as natural alternatives due to their potency against a wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens. Nearly every part of the pomegranate plant has been tested for antimicrobial activities, including the fruit juice, peel, arils, flowers, and bark. Many studies have utilized pomegranate peel with success. There are various phytochemical compounds in pomegranate that have demonstrated antimicrobial activity, but most of the studies have found that ellagic acid and larger hydrolyzable tannins, such as punicalagin, have the highest activities. In some cases the combination of the pomegranate constituents offers the most benefit. The positive clinical results on pomegranate and suppression of oral bacteria are intriguing and worthy of further study. Much of the evidence for pomegranates' antibacterial and antiviral activities against foodborne pathogens and other infectious disease organisms comes from in vitro cell-based assays, necessitating further confirmation of in vivo efficacy through human clinical trials.

Rapid and Comprehensive Evaluation of (Poly)phenolic Compounds in Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Juice by UHPLC-MSn

The comprehensive identification of phenolic compounds in food and beverages is a crucial starting point for assessing their biological, nutritional, and technological properties. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) has been described as a rich source of (poly)phenolic components, with a broad array of different structures (phenolic acids, flavonoids, and hydrolyzable tannins) and a quick, high throughput, and accurate screening of its complete profile is still lacking. In the present work, a method for UHPLC separation and linear ion trap mass spectrometric (MSn) characterization of pomegranate juice phenolic fraction was optimized by comparing several different analytical conditions. The best solutions for phenolic acids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and ellagitannins have been delineated and more than 70 compounds have been identified and fully characterized in less than one hour total analysis time. Twenty-one compounds were tentatively detected for the first time in pomegranate juice. The proposed fingerprinting approach could be easily translated to other plant derived food extracts and beverages containing a wide array of phytochemical compounds.

Growth Inhibitory, Antiandrogenic, and Pro-apoptotic Effects of Punicic Acid in LNCaP Human Prostate Cancer Cells

Prostate cancer is a commonly diagnosed cancer in men, and dietary chemoprevention by pomegranate (Punica granatum) extracts has shown noticeable benefits. In this study, we investigated the growth inhibitory, antiandrogenic, and pro-apoptotic effects of 13 pure compounds found in the pomegranate in androgen-dependent LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. Cells deprived of steroid hormones were exposed to increasing concentrations (1-100 μM) of pomegranate compounds in the presence of 0.1 nM dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and the inhibition of cell growth was measured by WST-1 colorimetric assay after a 4 day exposure. Four compounds, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), delphinidin chloride, kaempferol, and punicic acid, were found to inhibit DHT-stimulated cell growth at concentrations of 10 μM and above. These four pomegranate compounds inhibited DHT-stimulated androgen receptor nuclear accumulation and the expression of the androgen receptor-dependent genes prostate specific antigen and steroid 5α-reductase type 1 at concentrations ≥10 μM. We determined the possible contribution of apoptosis to the observed decrease in cell growth and found that three compounds, EGCG, kaempferol, and, in particular, punicic acid, induced DNA fragmentation after a 24 h treatment, at concentrations in the 10-100 μM range. Punicic acid, an important fatty acid in pomegranate seeds, was further found to induce intrinsic apoptosis via a caspase-dependent pathway. In conclusion, punicic acid, the main constituent of pomegranate seed (70-80%), exhibited potent growth inhibitory activities in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells, which appear to be mediated by both antiandrogenic and pro-apoptotic mechanisms.

Determination of Punicalagin Isomers in Pomegranate Husk

Punicalagins are the main ingredients of phenolic compounds in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) husk. A simple and accurate method for punicalagin analysis based on ethanol extraction and RP-LC using linear gradient of methanol in 0.1% TFA solution was established. The feasibility of this procedure was tested by analyzing the punicalagin level both in fresh pomegranate husk collected from different provinces in China and dried husk from a drugstore. The content of each isomer and total content of punicalagins in husk were determined. The mean value of punicalagins content in pomegranate husk was 82.4 mg g−1. The highest content of punicalagins was found in a variety of husks from Shanxi province, while the lowest content was found in the husk from the drugstore in Guangdong province.

Punica granatum: Heuristic Treatment for Diabetes Mellitus

The current diabetes epidemic is a global concern with readily available effective therapies or preventative measures in demand. One natural product with such potential is the pomegranate (Punica granatum), with hypoglycemic activity noted from its flowers, seeds, and juice in canons of the traditional folk medicines of India. The mechanisms for such effects are largely unknown, though recent research suggests pomegranate flowers and juice may prevent diabetic sequelae via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma binding and nitric oxide production. Pomegranate compounds associated with antidiabetic effects include oleanolic, ursolic, and gallic acids. Pomegranate fractions and their active compounds hold potential and are worthy of further investigations as safe and effective medical treatments for diabetes mellitus and its pathological consequences.