While preliminary, these results suggest a role for pomegranate juice in augmenting memory function through task-related increases in functional brain activity.
Pomegranate juice inhibits oxidized LDL uptake and cholesterol biosynthesis in macrophages
Macrophage cholesterol accumulation and foam cell formation are the hallmarks of early atherogenesis. Pomegranate juice (PJ) was shown to inhibit macrophage foam cell formation and development of atherosclerotic lesions. The aim of this study was to elucidate possible mechanisms by which Pomegranate juice reduces cholesterol accumulation in macrophages.
Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Adherence of Punica granatum Linn (pomegranate) Gel Against S. mutans, S. mitis and C. albicans
The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of a Punica granatum Linn (pomegranate) phytotherapeutic gel and miconazole (Daktarin® oral gel) against three standard streptococci strains (mutans ATCC 25175, sanguis ATCC 10577 and mitis ATCC 9811), S. mutans clinically isolated and Candida albicans either alone or in association.
In experiments with three and four associated microorganisms, the Punica granatum L. gel had greater efficiency in inhibiting microbial adherence than the miconazole. The results of this study suggest that this phytotherapeutic agent might be used in the control of adherence of different microorganisms in the oral cavity.
Brazilian Dental Journal (2006) 17(3):
Pomegranate polyphenols down-regulate expression of androgen-synthesizing genes in human prostate cancer cells overexpressing the androgen receptor
Prostate cancer is dependent on circulating testosterone in its early stages and is treatable with radiation and surgery. However, recurrent prostate tumors advance to an androgen-independent state in which they progress in the absence of circulating testosterone, leading to metastasis and death.
Therefore, inhibition by pomegranate polyphenols of gene expression involved in androgen-synthesizing enzymes and the AR may be of particular importance in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells and the subset of human prostate cancers where AR is up-regulated.
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Volume 19, Issue 12, December 2008
Pomegranate derived products for cancer chemoprevention
Because treatment options for advanced metastasized cancers remain inadequate, developing effective approaches for the prevention of cancer has become an important goal to reduce cancer burden. One such strategy is through chemoprevention, preferably by the use of non-toxic dietary substances and botanical products. Pomegranate, used for centuries for its medicinal properties is now being recognized as a potential chemopreventive and anticancer agent. Increasing body of evidence has underscored the cancer preventive efficacy of pomegranate both in vitro and in vivo animal models. The emerging data provide new insights into the molecular framework needed to establish novel mechanism-based chemopreventive strategies for various human cancers.
Seminars in Cancer Biology, Volume 17, Issue 5, October 2007
Ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract inhibits angiogenesi in prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo
Angiogenesis is critical to tumor growth and is stimulated by tissue hypoxia due to poor oxygen delivery. In turn, cellular hypoxia leads to angiogenesis via the induction of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at a cellular level. Pomegranate juice and extracts, which are rich sources of ellagitannins, have been shown to have chemopreventive potential against prostate cancer, but there have been no studies on the effects of an ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract on angiogenesis.
These results demonstrate that an ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract can inhibit tumor-associated angiogenesis as one of several potential mechanisms for slowing the growth of prostate cancer in chemopreventive applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 32: 475-480, 2008
Safety and antioxidant activity of a pomegranate ellagitannin-enriched polyphenol dietary supplement in overweight individuals with increased waist size
The consumption of pomegranate juice (PJ), a rich source of antioxidant polyphenols, has grown tremendously due to its reported health benefits. Pomegranate extracts, which incorporate the major antioxidants found in pomegranates, namely, ellagitannins, have been developed as botanical dietary supplements to provide an alternative convenient form for consuming the bioactive polyphenols found in pomegranate juice.
These studies demonstrate the safety of a pomegranate ellagitannin-enriched polyphenol dietary supplement in humans and provide evidence of antioxidant activity in humans.
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2007
Pomegranate byproduct significantly attenuates atherosclerosis development by its antioxidant properties
It was thus concluded that The effects of a pomegranate byproduct (PBP, which includes the whole pomegranate fruit left after juice preparation) significantly attenuates atherosclerosis development by its antioxidant properties polyphenolics in topical applications.
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2006, 54
Pomegranate extract has protective effects against UVA- and UVB-induced cell damage
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been associated with several acute and chronic conditions, including sunburn, edema, hyperplasia, immunosuppression, photoaging, and skin cancer. The role of naturally occurring phytochemicals in the prevention of such UV-related conditions has captured increased interest. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a rich source of polyphenolics, which have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic activity in numerous in vivo and in vitro.
Results from this study demonstrate the protective effects of Pomegranate extract against UVA- and UVB-induced cell damage and the potential use of pomegranate.
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2008
Pomegranate extract Is active against dental plaque
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The hydro-alcoholic extract (HAE) from Punica granatum (pomegranate) fruits presented also an antibacterial activity against selected microorganisms, and may be a possible alternative for the treatment of dental plaque bacteria. Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, 2006, Vol. 6, No. 2 , Pages 79-92 |
In the present work, we studied the effect of the hydro-alcoholic extract (HAE) from Punica granatum (pomegranate) fruits on dental plaque microorganisms. The study was conducted on 60 healthy patients (33 females and 27 males, with age ranging from 9 to 25 years) using fixed orthodontic appliances, and randomly distributed into 3 groups of 20 patients each.