Pomegranate extract is an active substance extracted from pomegranate peel, seeds and juice, containing polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, organic acids and estrogen-like components. It has various pharmacological functions such as antioxidant, scavenging free radicals, preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and improving women’s menopausal syndrome.

 

  • Chemical compositionof Pomegranate extract

Mainly polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids and organic acids, in addition to steroids, phospholipids, triglycerides, volatile oils, amino acids and minerals.

  1. Polyphenolic compounds

From the pomegranate peel, punicalagin, punicalagin, casuarinae, pomegranate peeling A, pomegranate peeling B, ellagitannins, ellagic acid, gallic acid and ellagic acid are obtained;

Gallic acid, quercitrin, chlorogenic acid, phlorizin, caffeic acid protocatechuic acid, catechin and coumaric acid were extracted and isolated from pomegranate juice, among which the content of gallic acid and catechin is higher.

  1. Flavonoids

The flavonoids in pomegranate peel include pelargonine, delphinidin and rutin. Pomegranate peel also contains 3 flavonol phytoestrogens, digitonin, quercetin and camphenyl alcohol.

Pomegranate seeds also contain 2 isoflavonoid phytoestrogens, namely 5,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavones and 7,4′-dihydroxyisoflavones.

  1. Alkaloid compounds

Pomegranate mainly contains piperidine and pyrrolidine alkaloids. Piperidine alkaloids include punicine, N-methyl punicine, pseudopunicine, N-acetylpunicine and the like. There are differences in the types of piperidine alkaloids contained in different parts of pomegranate. The two isoforms of N-acetyl punicrine, 2-(2,-hydroxypropyl)-1-piperidine, sedridine and N-acetyl sedridine. The structure is distributed in almost all parts of pomegranate. Pomegranate, pseudopunicine, N–methylpunicrine, and isopunicine are mainly found in root bark, stem bark, branch bark and pericarp. 2-(2,-Hydroxypropyl)-yin-1-piperidine, 2-(2,-propenyl)-yin-1-piperidine and norpseudochine were higher in root bark. The main pyrrolidine alkaloids in pomegranate are coumarine and norgudrine, which are mainly found in root bark, but the content is not high.

  1. Organic acid compounds

Pomegranate seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acid compounds. The fruit juice is dominated by polybasic linear carboxylic acids, of which citric acid has the highest content, with an average content of 4.85g·L-1, followed by L-malic acid (average content of 1.75g·L-1), tartaric acid, oxalic acid , quinic acid and succinic acid, etc.

  1. Other components

Steroids, phospholipids, triglycerides, and volatile oils are all distributed in pomegranate seeds, and amino acids and minerals are distributed in pomegranate juice.

 

  • Pharmacological actionof Pomegranate extract
  1. Anti-ultraviolet radiation

Studies have shown that pomegranate juice, pomegranate extract and pomegranate oil are all resistant to UV damage and are expected to be a useful auxiliary ingredient in cosmetics.

  1. Improve metabolic syndrome

Clinical trials and animal experimental studies have shown that pomegranate juice, pomegranate extract and pomegranate flower extract have significant anti-atherosclerotic, anti-hypertensive and anti-inflammatory activities, and are expected to be used in the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

  1. Antimicrobial activity Antibacterial and antiviral activity

The tannins in pomegranate extract are its antiviral active components. Ellagic acid, gallic acid, pomegranate tannin and punicalagin contained in pomegranate extract have significant inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida, Pseudomonas, Cryptococcus, etc. in vitro. Bacterial effect.

  1. Antioxidant activity

The antioxidant content of pomegranate is 11 times that of lemon, 39 times that of apple, and 283 times that of watermelon. The main antioxidant substances in pomegranate are ellagitannins, which are metabolized by microorganisms in the intestinal tract into urolithin and enter the blood circulation, and urolithin A, C, D, etc. Oxidative activity, and the activity was significantly higher than that of ellagic acid and punicalagin.

  1. The effect on bones and joints

Pomegranate extract inhibits interleukin-1β-induced proteoglycan breakdown in cartilage explants. This suggests that pomegranate extract inhibits cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis and thus holds promise as a nutritional supplement for maintaining joint integrity and function.

  1. Effects on neonatal hypoxia and ischemic brain injury

The antioxidant properties of pomegranate juice may have neuroprotective effects, and this effect can affect the fetus through the mother.

  1. Anti-prostate cancer effect

Pomegranate extract dose-dependently slows the progression of human prostate cancer in vitro. Pomegranate juice extract inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and promotes their apoptosis in vivo. Pomegranate juice, pomegranate peel, and pomegranate seed extracts synergistically inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and phospholipase A-2 expression.

  1. Anti-skin cancer effect

The pomegranate extract can inhibit UVB-mediated MAPK and NF-κB channels and ameliorate the damage induced by UVB by regulating cell channels. Topical application of pomegranate fruit extract antagonizes 7,12-dimethylbenzthracene-induced 12-O-tetradecylcrotyl alcohol-13-acetate-induced skin cancer in CD-1 mice. Pomegranate seed oil can slow down skin cancer progression in CD-1 mice and can prevent skin cancer.

  1. Anti-colon cancer effect

Polyphenols in pomegranate inhibit colon cancer inflammatory cell signaling. Pomegranate seed oil is rich in conjugated linolenic acid, which can inhibit the occurrence of AOM-induced colon cancer, and its inhibitory effect is related to the increase of conjugated linoleic acid in colon and liver, and/or the increase of PPARγ protein expression in colonic mucosa.

  1. Anti-breast cancer effect

Researchers at the Israel Institute of Engineering and Technology report that pomegranate peel has significant breast cancer-fighting properties. When normal and tumorous breast cells were exposed to pomegranate peel extract, it was found that polyphenols (a potent antioxidant) in pomegranate peel extract destroyed 50% of estrogen-independent tumor cells and 75% of estrogen Depends on tumor cells, while the vast majority of healthy cells are not affected by this.

  1. Anti-lung cancer effect

Pomegranate fruit extract significantly inhibited the binding activity of NF-κB channel DNA in A/J mouse lung cancer and A549 human lung cancer cells. Oral administration of pomegranate fruit extract to athymic nude mice transplanted with A549 human lung cancer cells significantly inhibited tumor growth.

 

Let’s introduce the benefits of the main active ingredients of pomegranate extract!

 

  • Pomegranate polyphenols

The polyphenolic extract of pomegranate seeds is a class of strong antioxidants that help improve joint elasticity and skin elasticity, strengthen arteries, veins and capillaries. Its inflammatory effects against arthritis and sports injuries have also been reported. Eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy (inflammation of the retina caused by diabetes) and vision loss can also benefit.

  1. Improve capillary viability and strengthen capillary walls

By helping the endothelium of the arteries resist the attachment of mutated substances that can lead to cardiovascular disease, pomegranate seed polyphenols may help strengthen blood vessel walls and improve circulation for stroke patients, diabetes, arthritis, smokers, women on oral contraceptives It is especially important for people with swollen legs, edema (the accumulation of abnormal amounts of fluid in the tissues of the legs).

  1. Improve skin smoothness and elasticity

Collagen is the main protein found in the skin and is closely related to skin texture. Pomegranate seed polyphenols help the skin resist damage from free radicals and collagen-degrading enzymes. This protection may help prevent premature skin wrinkling that occurs due to loss of skin elasticity. In many European countries, women take pomegranate seed polyphenols as a supplement to prevent wrinkles and help keep skin smooth and elastic.

  1. Reduces diabetic retinopathy and improves vision

Diabetes is prone to complicated arterial frailty and affects the retina. Pomegranate seed polyphenols have been used for many years to treat diabetic retinopathy and improve vision.

  1. Reduce varicose veins

By reducing arterial brittleness, pomegranate seed polyphenols may help prevent bruising and possibly the formation of varicose veins.

  1. Helps Improve Brain Function

Pomegranate seed polyphenols may be important for brain function, not only for their vascular protection, but also because they are one of the few dietary antioxidants that may pass the blood-brain barrier to directly protect brain cells. Strengthening capillaries and other blood vessels may help prevent stroke. Scientists speculate that its protection of brain cells may help preserve memory and reduce the effects of aging. There are signs that even dormant memory may be improved by better circulation and cellular nutrition. It is very possible to utilize pomegranate seed polyphenols to fight aging in the future.

  1. Fights arthritis inflammation and reduces the risk of phlebitis

Pomegranate seed polyphenols help improve joint mobility and help repair collagen in connective tissue, a feature that may be of interest to athletes. In addition, it may help reduce inflammation due to injury. Pomegranate seed polyphenols may also inhibit histamine release, stress ulcers and arterial damage.

 

  • Pomegranate Ellagic Acid

Ellagic acid has various biologically active functions, such as antioxidant function, anticancer, antimutagenic properties, and inhibitory effect on human immunodeficiency virus. In addition, ellagic acid is also an effective coagulant, which has a good inhibitory effect on a variety of bacteria and viruses, and can protect the wound from bacterial invasion, prevent infection, and inhibit ulcers. At the same time, studies have found that ellagic acid also has antihypertensive and sedative effects.

  1. Scavenge free radicals

Since the 1950s, the antioxidant properties of ellagic acid in vivo and in vitro have been continuously explored and studied, and more and more research results have shown that ellagic acid has strong scavenging free radicals and antioxidant capacity. Ellagic acid has a scavenging effect on oxygen free radicals and hydroxyl radicals, and its ability to scavenge free radicals is higher than that of antioxidants such as sesameol, olive leaf extract and lutein.

  1. Inhibit lipid peroxidation

In terms of inhibiting lipid peroxidation, ellagic acid is considered to be the most effective inhibitor of the initial stage of microsomal NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation, and ellagic acid can also strongly inhibit lipid peroxidation induced by doxorubicin . Ellagic acid inhibits ferromyoglobin/hydrogen peroxide-dependent lipid peroxidation. Ellagic acid can block lipid peroxidation (LPO) induced by foreign substances in T cells, inhibit the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and improve cell death caused by cytotoxicity.

  1. Other antioxidant activities

Ellagic acid reduces cellular damage caused by radiation, hydrogen peroxide, and mitomycin C in mouse bone marrow cells. Ellagic acid effectively inhibits the oxidation of DCDHF induced by pernitrite as well as the oxidation of pernitrite itself. At the same time, ellagic acid prevented pernitrite-induced single-strand breaks and nitration of tyrosyl groups in bovine serum albumin in pTZ 18U plasmid DNA. Thus in vitro, ellagic acid protects biomolecules from pernitrite-induced oxidative and nitrative damage.

  1. Other functions

Ellagic acid inhibits interleukin 1b (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced activin-1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase activities, thereby inhibiting nascent pancreatic astrocyte transformation for an activated fibroblastic phenotype. Ellagic acid, as a secondary metabolite, exerts anti-eosinophilic activity in a β-glucan peritonitis model. Ellagic acid is a potent inhibitor of eosinophils and can be used to treat allergic inflammation. Ellagic acid can resist carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity and lipid peroxidation induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide both in vivo and in vitro, so it has a protective effect on the liver.

Melanocytes are present in the basal layer of the epidermis, where melanin is produced. The raw material for melanin production is tyrosine, which must be converted into dopa (DOPA) and dopaquinine (DOPAquinine) successively by tyrosinase, and finally melanin is formed. Ellagic acid blocks the production of melanin by inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase.

Therefore, high-purity ellagic acid is mainly used as additives in medicines, health food and cosmetics, as functional factors such as anti-oxidation, inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus, and skin whitening.

 

  • Punicalagin

Punicalin is the main active ingredient in pomegranate peel extract. It has various pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. After being absorbed by the human body, punicalagin can be decomposed into ellagic acid under the action of human enzymes. It has excellent antioxidant properties and has been used as a food antioxidant and is also mostly used in the cosmetics industry.

Punicalin itself is a very potent antioxidant, and it can be metabolized into compounds like ellagic acid and urolithin, which also have antioxidant capacity themselves (albeit to a lesser extent). This huge antioxidant value of punicalagin is about three times that of red wine and green tea, which is why pomegranate is famous.

The advantages of punicalagin compared with ellagic acid are as follows:

  1. Punicalagin is more easily absorbed by the body.
  2. Punicalagin has good water solubility and can be used in beverages.
  3. Punicalagin is not easy to be synthesized, not easy to be extracted from other plants, and can only be extracted naturally.

 

We hope that through the above detailed content, you will have more familiarity and understanding of pomegranate extract.

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