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Pomegranate and its Many Functional Components as Related to Human Health: A Review
Abstract
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an ancient fruit that is widely consumed as fresh fruit and juice. The use of pomegranate fruit dates from ancient times and reports of its therapeutic qualities have echoed throughout the ages. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated how this fruit acts as antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypolipidemic and shows antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antiviral, and anticarcinogenic activities. The fruit also improves cardiovascular and oral health. These beneficial physiological effects may also have preventive applications in a variety of pathologies. The health benefits of pomegranate have been attributed to its wide range of phytochemicals, which are predominantly polyphenols, including primarily hydrolyzable ellagitannins, anthocyanins, and other polyphenols. The aim of this review was to present an overview of the functional, medical, and physiological properties of this fruit.
... The seeds are also rich in phospholipids such as lecithin, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine [108]. Numerous studies have shown that pomegranate seeds have anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects [111]. The health-promoting effects of phenolic compounds from pomegranate seeds, such as (+)catechin, (−)-epicatechin, naringin, gallic acid, etc., have also been corroborated by a number of studies [112,113]. ...
... Other studies reported on the potential of ellagic acid [116] on the induction of the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, as well as on reduction in prostate cancer and human bladder cancer and leukaemia [117]. The main mechanisms of action proposed for the bioactive pomegranate compounds include inhibition of phase I enzymes or blockage of carcinogenesis, induction of phase II (detoxification) enzymes, the scavenging of DNA-reactive agents, modulation of homeostatic hormones, suppression of hyper-cell proliferation induced by carcinogens, induction of apoptosis, depression of tumour angiogenesis and inhibition of phenotypic expressions of preneoplastic and neoplastic cells [111]. Moreover, Chaves et al. [116] showed that the juice and peel extracts of pomegranate are able to inhibit proliferation, migration and colony formation of prostate cancer cell lines by regulating the mTOR signalling pathway, which controls cell growth and metabolism. ...
... The by-products from Olea europaea L. processing industry are already acknowledged as valuable materials for various bioactive molecules extraction, such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, tannins, flavonoids, and dietary fibre (pectin) [120]. The distribution of important compounds in olive oil by-products is presented in Figure 4. inhibition of phenotypic expressions of preneoplastic and neoplastic cells [111]. Moreover, Chaves et al. [116] showed that the juice and peel extracts of pomegranate are able to inhibit proliferation, migration and colony formation of prostate cancer cell lines by regulating the mTOR signalling pathway, which controls cell growth and metabolism. ...
The Mediterranean diet is recognized as a sustainable dietary approach with beneficial health effects. This is highly relevant, although the production of typical Mediterranean food, i.e., olive oil or wine, processed tomatoes and pomegranate products, generates significant amounts of waste. Ideally, this waste should be disposed in an appropriate, eco-friendly way. A number of scientific papers were published recently showing that these by-products can be exploited as a valuable source of biologically active components with health benefits, including anticancer effects. In this review, accordingly, we elaborate on such phytochemicals recovered from the food waste generated during the processing of vegetables and fruits, typical of the Mediterranean diet, with a focus on substances with anticancer activity. The molecular mechanisms of these phytochemicals, which might be included in supporting treatment and prevention of various types of cancer, are presented. The use of bioactive components from food waste may improve the economic feasibility and sustainability of the food processing industry in the Mediterranean region and can provide a new strategy to approach prevention of cancer.
... Along with complex polysaccharides, it also contains a number of minerals, primarily potassium (K), nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), and sodium (Na). A fruit's remaining 50% is made up of arils, which account for 40% of the fruit's weight, and seeds, which constitute the remaining 10% [25]. The high concentration of hydrolysable tannins (punicalagin, ellagic acid, etc.) and anthocyanins in pomegranate seeds gives them powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. ...
... The seed coat has been shown to include a number of organic acids, including ascorbic acid, citric acid, etc., but the arils are mostly made up of pectin, water, and sugars, more precisely, fructose and glucose. The beneficial substances, phenolics, and flavonoids, especially anthocyanins, are abundant in arils [25]. Conjugated linolenic acid makes up the majority of the oil in pomegranate seeds [26]. ...
The pomegranate fruit is made of white to deep purple seeds that are enclosed in a white, spongy, astringent membrane, also known as pericarp, covered by a thick red skin and a crown-shaped calyx. It contains a variety of beneficial ingredients, including flavonoids, ellagitannin, punicalagin, ellagic acid, vitamins, and minerals. Pomegranates possess numerous health benefits, and their use in disease treatment has been widely recognized since antiquity. This fruit was known to exhibit several biological properties, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Pomegranate has been used in a variety of medical systems for the treatment and therapy of a wide range of diseases and illnesses. This review summarizes studies highlighting the potential role of pomegranate in the prevention and treatment of diseases related to respiratory and digestive systems.
... PG is consumed as fresh fruit. The edible parts of pomegranate fruits are used to prepare fresh juice, canned beverages, jelly, jam, and for flavoring and coloring beverage products (Viuda-Martos et al., 2010). Different parts of this fruit are applicable for food, medicine, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nanotechnology; therefore, it is considered a superfood (Putnik et al., 2019;Puneeth and Chandra 2020). ...
... Frontiers in Pharmacology frontiersin.org 06 3.2 Analysis of ellagic acid using Highperformance liquid chromatography Ellagic acid (EA), a phenolic phytochemical, is one of the most critical components of fruits and vegetables (Vattem and Shetty, 2005). Undoubtedly, ellagic acid is a crucial antioxidant and responsible for other pharmacological effects, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammation (Ríos et al., 2018). ...
... PG is consumed as fresh fruit. The edible parts of pomegranate fruits are used to prepare fresh juice, canned beverages, jelly, jam, and for flavoring and coloring beverage products (Viuda-Martos et al., 2010). Different parts of this fruit are applicable for food, medicine, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nanotechnology; therefore, it is considered a superfood (Putnik et al., 2019;Puneeth and Chandra 2020). ...
... Frontiers in Pharmacology frontiersin.org 06 3.2 Analysis of ellagic acid using Highperformance liquid chromatography Ellagic acid (EA), a phenolic phytochemical, is one of the most critical components of fruits and vegetables (Vattem and Shetty, 2005). Undoubtedly, ellagic acid is a crucial antioxidant and responsible for other pharmacological effects, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammation (Ríos et al., 2018). ...
Phenolics are phytochemicals in plants, fruits, and vegetables have potential health-promoting efficacies. However, mostly available as a complex form. So, to increase the contents and nutritional value of the phenolic compounds, fermentation is most readily used in the food industry. Especially, the hydrolyzable tannins present in the pomegranate that can be liberated into monomolecular substances, which enhances biological activity. Thus, this study aims to convert hydrolyzable tannins to ellagic acid by fermentation using Tannin acyl hydrolase (TAH) and a novel bacteria strain Lactobacillus vespulae DCY75, respectively to investigate its effect on Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) mRNA expression along with inflammation inhibition. As a result, the fermentation enhanced the ellagic acid content up to 70% by the synergetic effect of TAH and DCY75. Furthermore, fermented pomegranate (PG-F) increased cellular proliferation as well as upregulated the gene expression of estrogen regulators such as ERα, ERβ, and pS2 in breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), which commonly used to evaluate estrogenic activity. Moreover, to study the inflammation associated with low estrogen in menopause, we have analyzed the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO)/inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in RAW 264.7 cells. The PG-F juice did not exert any cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells and inhibited NO production along with the downregulation of a major pro-inflammatory cytokine iNOS which indicates the anti-inflammatory potential of it. To sum it up, the fermented commercial pomegranate juice using a novel bacteria strain increased the amount of ellagic acid that the value added bioactive of pomegranate and it has significantly increased the estrogenic activity via upregulating estrogen related biomarkers expression and reduced the risk of related inflammation via NO/iNOS inhibition. This study could be a preliminary study to use fermented pomegranate as a potential health functional food after further evaluation.
... Among the medicinal plants currently used in detoxification is the pomegranate, which is a powerful antioxidant. Pomegranate juice has become very popular in recent years due to its high vitamin and polyphenol content [4]. The polyphenols in pomegranate act as an "anti-rust" [5], neutralizing free radicals and strengthening our defense systems [6]. ...
... The research conducted by Türk [16] on the effect of pomegranate juice on rats fertility revealed that daily consumption of pomegranate juice for 7 weeks increases sperm cell density, sperm concentration in the epididymis, sperm motility and a decrease in abnormal sperm rates related to a decrease in lipid peroxidation in male rats [16]. Pomegranate juice is a polyphenol-rich juice with high antioxidant capacity [4,5]. It has been reported that oral consumption of (GJ) provides significant reduction in testicular tissue MDA level and significant increments in rGSH level, GSH-Px, and CAT activities [16,17]. ...
Introduction: The aim of this study is to throw light on the possible protective effect of pomegranate juice (GJ) (Punica granatum L) after experimental oral administration of fungicide Thiophanate Methyl (TM) and its effects on sperm quality, of male healthy Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Fifteen healthy adult male Wistar rats were divided into 03 groups. Group 1: control, Group 2: treated with Thiophanate Methyl (TM) (150 mg / kg) and Group 3: Treated with Thiophanate Methyl + pomegranate juice (GJ) (150 mg/kg + 1.5 ml). The method used for the treatment is oral gavage daily, for 60 days. The reproductive organs that were collected were weighed, and the epididymis and testis were used for further evaluations (count, viability, motility of spermatozoa), we also conducted histological tests for testis and epididymis. Results: The results showed that the treatment with Thiophante Methyl induced a decrease in concentration, motility, and viability of spermatozoa while the treatment of rats with fungicide associated with the grenade juice restored the concentration and the mobility of spermatozoa. Conclusion: Thiophanate Methyl (TM) caused structural changes in the epididymis and testes inducing a decrease in sperm quality, which would interfere with its function and contribute to infertility. On the other hand, GJ can prevent these changes by increasing the number of caudal sperm; thus, it could have an effect in improving male fertility.
... Fibre intake through meat substituted with fruits, vegetables and grains is related to reductions in plasma and LDLcholesterol, scale back the chance of major dietary issues like blubber, coronary diseases, diabetes, epithelial duct disorders, together with constipation, inflammatory internal organ diseases (Schneeman, 1999). Dehydrated fruit, vegetable and cereal fibre may be utilized in the food business as purposeful ingredient with wonderful results (Viuda et al., 2010) and intake of fibre reduces the danger and promotes a health (Kritchevsky, 2000). Banana is a part of human diet for several years and is that the second most vital fruit crop in Asian country next to mango (Abano, 2010). ...
Functional meat products are often created by reformulating meat and adding health promoting ingredients such as fibres, prebiotics, probiotics, polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. Present research was undertaken to study the effect on incorporation of 4% green banana pulp powder on physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of chevon nuggets stored at refrigeration temperature (4±1˚C) in low density polyethylene (LDPE) pouches up to 16 day. During storage, the product pH, thiobarbituric acid value and tyrosine values increased significantly (p<0.05). The microbial quality parameters such as the total plate count increased throughout the storage period up to 16 th days but were within the permissible limits. However, psychrophilic count was not detectable at 0 day but increased from 4 th day to 16 th day of storage. Sensory scores for all the characteristics declined progressively with the advancement of storage period up to 16 th day. From this study, it can be concluded that chevon nuggets incorporated with 4% green banana pulp powder was very much acceptable up to 16 th day of refrigerated storage.
... Here, based on the results of kinetic studies, we found that gallic acid inhibits α-glucosidase with an IC50 value equal to 117 μg/mL in a mixed mode of inhibition, which is in agreement with a recent report by Choudhary et al. [57]. Another widely studied compound is punicalagin, the main component of pomegranate, which is attributed to anti-diabetic and health-promoting properties [58]. Extensive studies also covered the ability of punicalagin to inhibit α-glucosidase [59,60], and it has been revealed that it occurs in a competitive manner via direct binding to the enzyme. ...
The European Food Safety Authority recommends C. incanus as a natural source of antioxidants. Its activity is essentially determined by polyphenols, although specific compounds are not finally indicated. The available plant material comes from different subspecies and locations, which can lead to differences in chemical composition and potency. For this reason, we conducted a detailed analysis of the polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of 52 different C. incanus teas from Turkey, Albania, Greece, and unspecified regions. We focused special attention on ellagitannins, which have not been properly determined so far. Besides oxidative stress, hyperglycemia is an essential component of cardiometabolic diseases. Therefore, in subsequent experiments, we evaluated the ability of C. incanus extracts and individual polyphenols to inhibit α-glucosidase. Using statistical methods, we analyzed how differences in chemical composition affect activity. The results showed that C. incanus is a rich source of ellagitannins (2.5–19%), which dominate among polyphenols (5.5–23%). Turkish-origin products had higher ellagitannin content and a greater antioxidant effect (FRAP, ABTS) than Albanian and Greek products. In contrast, the flavonoid and phenolic acid contents and DPPH values were at similar levels in all products. An in-depth analysis of their composition indicated that all groups of polyphenols are involved in the antioxidant effect, but a significant contribution can be attributed to ellagitannins and flavonoids. C. incanus extracts showed a high capacity to inhibit α-glucosidase activity (IC50 125–145 μg/mL). Ellagitannins were the most effective inhibitors (IC50 0.7–1.1 μM), with a potency exceeding acarbose (3.3 mM). In conclusion, C. incanus, due to the presence of ellagitannins and flavonoids, exhibits powerful antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects.
... The colour of arils is deep red or purple, owing to a high amount of polyphenols, mainly anthocyanins. [65] Pomegranate is a very good and strong antioxidant than vitamins A, E, or C due to its high content of polyphenols. [64,66] Several studies have demonstrated that pomegranate fruit juice possessed the utmost antioxidant capacity than other frequently consumed fruit juices such as orange, grape, cranberry, etc., and polyphenol-rich beverages like red wine and green tea. ...
... P. granatum is much appreciated in many parts of the world including Suriname, where the fresh fruit is recommended for the promotion of general health and as a remedy for bleeding gums, lung afflictions, and tuberculosis [70,156], while preparations from various parts of the fruit are used against small wounds in the oral cavity; hemorrhage; sore throat; shortness of breath; ulcers, diarrhea, and dysentery; menstrual pain, and tapeworm infection [69,70,75,78,[156][157][158]. These uses are partially supported by the many pharmacological activities of this plant including antidiabetic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antiviral, antifibrotic, and other effects [156,159,160]. ...
The dependence of humans on oxygen for their metabolism, together with their uninterrupted exposure to a wide variety of hazardous environmental chemicals, leads to the continuous formation of reactive oxygen-derived species (ROS) in the body, such as superoxide radical anion, hydrogen peroxide, peroxyl radicals, and hydroxyl radical. When in excess, ROS can damage cellular constituents such as DNA and membrane lipids causing oxidative stress, cellular injury, and, eventually, inflammatory, neoplastic, diabetic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and age-related diseases. Fortunately, the body has a multitude of naturally occurring antioxidants in dietary fruits and vegetables to its disposal, including polyphenolic compounds, vitamins, and essential minerals. These antioxidants eliminate ROS by acting as reducing agents, hydrogen donors, quenchers of singlet oxygen, or chelators of metal ions that catalyze oxidation reactions, thus decreasing the risk of the abovementioned diseases. This first part of the current chapter comprehensively addresses three representative examples of fruits from the Republic of Suriname (South America) that are rich in anthocyanins, ellagitannins, and coumarins and highlights their antioxidant activity and beneficial and health-promoting effects. In part 2, four Surinamese fruits with an abundance of (pro)vitamins A, C, and E and selenium are equally extensively dealt with in light of their antioxidant activities.
... The use of components of pomegranate fruit, including the peel, as natural supplements to fortify source products (yoghurt, meat products) has been reported. Synthetic antioxidants should be increasingly restricted because of their undesirable effects (Viuda-Martos et al., 2010;Kakkar et al., 2021;El-Said Marwa et al., 2014;Hassan et al., 2017;Das et al., 2021). ...
The wealth of epidemiological evidence in the scientific world underscores the possibility that a plant-based diet can reduce the prevalence of common diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and stroke. The therapeutic effects of plant sources are partly explained by phenolic secondary metabolites or polyphenolic compounds. Therefore, polyphenolic compounds, which are widely distributed in plants, are of great interest for the development of effective specific drugs with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, polyphenol compounds have no harmful effects due to their natural biocompatibility and safety. Numerous studies have highlighted the potential of some industrial food wastes from plant material processing, including apple peels and mashed potatoes, grape skins, tomato and carrot peels, pomegranate peels and seeds, and many others. These byproducts are considered low-cost sources of natural biological compounds, including antioxidants, which have beneficial effects on human health.
The polyphenol complex of pomegranate peel (Punica granatum L.), which makes up half of the pomegranate fruit, has more pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than other parts. And the most important active components of pomegranate peel, which are found only in this plant, are punicalagin, followed by ellagic acid and gallic acid. It is known that these polyphenolic compounds of pomegranate peel have the most pronounced therapeutic effect. Several studies have shown the protective effect of ellagic acid, punicalagin, against oxidative stress damage caused by free radicals. The potential of pomegranate peel as an antioxidant and therapeutic component in various biological systems is high, according to scientific sources.
However, despite extensive research in recent years, a review of sources has shown that there is insufficient evidence to support the therapeutic effects of polyphenolic compounds from pomegranate peels. The role of pomegranate peel polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids, as antioxidants in various biological systems also requires further research. Of particular importance are the mechanisms by which antioxidants influence the cellular response against oxidative stress. The purpose of this review was to report our current knowledge of plant polyphenolic compounds and their classification, and to evaluate the potential of phenolic compounds from pomegranate peels with significant antioxidant and therapeutic effects.
... Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a deciduous fruit tree typically grown in subtropical and tropical regions of the world [1]. The growing awareness of the health benefits of the fruit and its numerous food derivatives has recently widened the global demand for this species [2,3]. Pomegranate is also appreciated in agriculture for its environmental adaptability, such as tolerance to drought and suboptimal edaphic conditions [1]. ...
Pomegranate (Punica granatum, L.) is a fruit tree that is increasingly popular worldwide due to the health-related properties of the fruit juice. While several studies highlighted the rich phytochemical diversity, few efforts have been devoted to an integrative understanding of the level of diversity of this species. This study investigated the diversity of 40 pomegranate accessions in an Indian ex situ collection by using twenty-nine morphological traits, six biochemical parameters, and twenty-nine Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers. Among the evaluated traits, fruit volume (23.34% CV), fruit weight (21.12% CV), and fruit color (*a) (22.69 % CV) largely contributed to the morphological classification. Based on Mahalanobis D2 distance and Tocher’s clustering, the 40 pomegranate accessions were grouped into eight clusters, partly consistent with their origin. Specifically, cultivars introduced from foreign countries were present in distinct clusters. The SSR marker analysis generated 66 alleles. The observed heterozygosity values ranged from 0.05 to 0.63, with a mean value of 0.30. Maximum molecular genetic dissimilarity was observed between ‘IC-318720′ and ‘Gul-e-Shah Red’ (0.30). The neighbor-joining dendrogram separated wild accessions from cultivated varieties. The combination of morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization allowed for comprehensively characterizing the pomegranate diversity and provided information on the relationships between the different aspects of the diversity. This work also suggests that the origin of the accessions is an important factor of discrimination and that the level of admixture between local and foreign material is currently limited.
... The development in the lactobacilli bacteria count in this study seems to be related to the reduction in pathogenic bacteria in the gut 16 . Similarly, the tannins reduce pathogenic bacteria; hinder harmful gut microbe's metabolism and the activities of harmful microbial enzymes by preventing oxidative phosphorylation 42 . The results showed that the use of 4% waste oil in diets decreased the lactobacilli bacteria counts in broilers. ...
Agricultural residues can be used as alternative feed sources in industrial chicken production. The impacts of different levels of pomegranate peel and waste cooking oil as an agricultural residue on broilers' nutrition were investigated. Results showed that the replacement of 8% pomegranate peel in diets decreased the growth performance of broilers. Supplementing 8% pomegranate peel in diets reduced apparent nutrient digestibility. The highest level of waste oil inclusion in broiler diets indicated negative impacts on apparent zmetabolizable energy and crude fat apparent nutrients digestibility. Broilers fed the diet containing 4% pomegranate peel had a higher Lactobacillus population. The results showed that the Lactobacillus population was lower in broilers fed 8% pomegranate peel powder and 4% waste oil in diets. The inclusion of 8% pomegranate peel powder in diets showed lower villus height and crypt depth in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The inclusion of 4% pomegranate peel decreased the peroxide value (PV) of meat. Dietary inclusion of 4% waste oil raised the PV of meat. Alpha-tocopherol supplementation decreased the PV of meat. Finally, the results provide information that 4% of pomegranate peel and 4% waste oil could be used as an alternative feed ingredient in broiler diets without adverse effects.
... The internal quality attributes of pomegranate fruit include the physicochemical, vitamin C content, etc. [15]. These quality attributes range in value depending on different factors [53]. Some of the significant amounts of bioactive compounds that constitute the internal quality attributes of pomegranate fruit includes phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins. ...
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the most healthful and popular fruits in the world. The increasing demand for pomegranate has resulted in it being processed into different food products and food supplements. Researchers over the years have shown interest in exploring non-destructive techniques as alternative approaches for quality assessment of the harvest at the on-farm point to the retail level. The approaches of non-destructive techniques are more efficient, inexpensive, faster and yield more accurate results. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent applications of non-destructive technology for the quality evaluation of pomegranate fruit. Future trends and challenges of using non-destructive techniques for quality evaluation are highlighted in this review paper. Some of the highlighted techniques include computer vision, imaging-based approaches, spectroscopy-based approaches, the electronic nose and the hyperspectral imaging technique. Our findings show that most of the applications are focused on the grading of pomegranate fruit using machine vision systems and the electronic nose. Measurements of total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and pH as well as other phytochemical quality attributes have also been reported. Value-added products of pomegranate fruit such as fresh-cut and dried arils, pomegranate juice and pomegranate seed oil have been non-destructively investigated for their numerous quality attributes. This information is expected to be useful not only for those in the grower/processing industries but also for other agro-food commodities.
... Since time immemorial, the fruit has been utilized in many cultures as food, and as a medical therapy. However, it is only during the last few decades, that scientific research has revealed that regular consumption of pomegranate may provide antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypertension activities (Fuhrman & Aviram, 2006;Lansky & Newman, 2007;Viuda-Martos et al., 2010). These bioactive properties have been attributed to the higher levels of antioxidant polyphenol compounds when compared to other types of fruits such as apples, grapes, and blueberries (Seeram et al., 2008). ...
Recently, quality and safety of fruits and vegetables are a great concern to consumers. It is of great importance for the horticultural industry to produce high-quality and safe products for consumption. The main quality attributes required by the consumers are visual appearance, such as color, glossiness, surface texture, size, and absence of blemishes. There is also an increasing awareness on the chemical residues that threaten the health of consumers. Fresh produce is susceptible to a wide range of defects before harvest, at harvest, and during postharvest operations. Traditional detection of defects relies on manual and visual inspections. The majority of traditional quality assessment methods are destructive and offline in nature. Over the past few decades, research has focused on the development of diverse noncontact, rapid, eco-friendly, and accurate methods for examination of fruits and vegetables. The application of nondestructive spectroscopic techniques has gained popularity. Application of spectroscopy has been extended to the safety assessment and monitoring quality. This chapter entails the success of spectroscopic applications in fresh fruits and vegetables. It further discusses the measurement or operation principles, major components, steps of measurement, data analysis, important factors that need to be considered for good results, and applications of mid- and near infrared spectroscopy in fresh horticultural produce.KeywordsNondestructive technologyFruit qualityVegetable qualityVis-NIRS
... There are a limited number of effective antifungal medications commonly used, with new treatments against fungal infections urgently needed. Natural products, in particular polyphenols, are becoming more appealing as an alternative agent in the treatment of infectious disorders, because of their broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal effects, low toxicities and low costs 60,61 . In addition, combination drug therapy is known to inhibit resistance mechanisms. ...
Candida albicans (C. albicans) is an opportunistic pathogen, which causes superficial infection and can lead to mortal systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. The incidence of C. albicans infections is increasing and there are a limited number of antifungal drugs used in treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new and alternative antifungal drugs. Pomegranate rind extract (PRE) is known for its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities, including against C. albicans and recently, PRE and Zn (II) have been shown to induce synergistic antimicrobial activity against various microbes. In this study, the inhibitory activities of PRE, Zn (II) and PRE in combination with Zn (II) were evaluated against C. albicans. Antifungal activities of PRE and Zn (II) were evaluated using conventional microdilution methods and the interaction between these compounds was assessed by in vitro checkerboard and time kill assays in planktonic cultures. The anti-biofilm activities of PRE, Zn (II) and PRE in combination with Zn (II) were assessed using confocal laser scanning microscopy, with quantitative analysis of biofilm biomass and mean thickness analysed using COMSTAT2 analysis. In addition, antimicrobial interactions between PRE and Zn (II) were assayed in terms reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by C. albicans. PRE and Zn (II) showed a potent antifungal activity against C. albicans, with MIC values of 4 mg/mL and 1.8 mg/mL, respectively. PRE and Zn (II) in combination exerted a synergistic antifungal effect, as confirmed by the checkerboard and time kill assays. PRE, Zn (II) and PRE and Zn (II) in combination gave rise to significant reductions in biofilm biomass, although only PRE caused a significant reduction in mean biofilm thickness. The PRE and Zn (II) in combination caused the highest levels of ROS production by C. albicans, in both planktonic and biofilm forms. The induction of excess ROS accumulation in C. albicans may help explain the synergistic activity of PRE and Zn (II) in combination against C. albicans in both planktonic and biofilm forms. Moreover, the data support the potential of the PRE and Zn (II) combination as a novel potential anti-Candida therapeutic system.
... PG is abundant in natural compounds and elicits promising antioxidant properties (Viuda-Martos et al., 2010). The peel contributes approximately 50% to the total weight of the fruit and is a valuable source of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, ellagitannins, phenolics, and proanthocyanidins, in addition to polysaccharides and minerals (Doostan et al., 2017). ...
Lithium carbonate (LC) is known to alter thyroid gland function. Pomegranate (PG) is a fruit with multiple antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. Here, we studied the effect of PG on LC‐induced morphological and functional alterations in the thyroid glands of rats. Rats were divided into four groups: control, lithium, lithium‐PG, and PG. After 8 weeks, the rats were sacrificed, the levels of thyroid hormones and oxidative stress markers were estimated, and thyroid tissues were subjected to histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural evaluations. Compared to the control group, the lithium group showed significant changes in thyroid hormone levels, greater expression of the oxidant marker malondialdehyde, and lower expression of the antioxidant marker superoxide dismutase (SOD). Most of these changes improved upon PG treatment. Histological evaluation of the thyroid in the lithium group showed disorganization and follicle involution. Additionally, the periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining intensity and SOD immunoreactivity declined significantly, whereas the collagen fiber content and Bax immunoreactivity increased. The follicular ultrastructure showed marked distortion. These changes were mitigated upon PG treatment. In conclusion, PG alleviated the morphological and functional changes in the thyroid glands induced by LC by modulating apoptosis and oxidative stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
... Pomegranate fruit extract can be used in human lung cancer therapy by inhibiting several signaling pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), PI3K/Akt, and NFκB (Khan et al., 2007). Pomegranate oil treatments have reduced tumor incidence and numbers in mice (Viuda-Martos et al., 2010;Elfalleh et al., 2012). Several bulk of investigations showed that the pomegranate pulp extract exerts anti-skin tumor-encouraging action in CD-1 mice (Pacheco-Palencia et al., 2008). ...
Cancer is a challenging ailment and represents the main reason for death worldwide for humans and animals. Although great developments have hindered cancer progression, several adverse effects are associated with modern chemotherapy. Natural remedies, such as the usage of medicinal plant or their products in cancer treatment, may decrease prejudicial side properties. Recently, the modern research scheme and innovative screening practices for herbs or plants have enabled phytochemical discovery for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This criticism highlights herbs such as acacia, basil, black seeds, cedar, castus, ficus, garlic, ginger, indigo, onion, pomegranate, quince, and thyme, promising anticancer effects. The present review also revealed the mode of action of each herb as anticancer effects at level in vitro and in vivo studies. The item also totalizes the vital mechanisms and signaling molecules involved in preventing cancer diseases. This will fill the investigate gap in the exploration of using natural molecules and encourage researchers in clinical trials of anticancer agents from herbs for humans and animals.
... The production of pomegranate fruits in Türkiye is carried out in high quantities in the Mediterranean, Southeastern Anatolia, and Aegean regions [12]. Pomegranate fruit has many positive effects on human health with its bioactive components such as phenolic substances, antioxidants, organic acids, vitamins, polysaccharides, sugars, and minerals [13][14][15]. It shows biological activity and is a particularly good antioxidant [16,17], also has antiproliferative, antiviral, anti-aging, antimicrobial properties [17]. ...
In this study, it was aimed to determine the physical, chemical and antioxidant properties of pomegranate sauces sold in the market in Turkey. A total of 18 pomegranate sauces were studied; 17 of which were purchased from the market, and one of them was produced in a rotary evaporator in the laboratory. For each sample, analysis of antioxidant activity, titratable acidity, brix, hydroxymethyl furfural, pH, color analysis, and sugar analyzes were performed. Antioxidant activity values were analyzed using 6 different methods (DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil) radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), ABTS●+ radical scavenging capacity, total antioxidant capacity assay (TAC), the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) methods). The lowest and highest values were determined for methods of DPPH (5.23- 2822.69 mg AA/kg), FRAP (57.94 - 2380.94 mg FeSO4/kg), TAC (660.47 - 3690.83 mg AA/kg), TFC (23.06 - 11680.71 mg QEE/kg), TPC (123.54 -9566.95 mg GAE/kg). Brix, pH and % titration acidity values varied between 70.00 - 76.70%, 1.66 -2.88, 2.65 -7.58%, respectively. In addition, HMF values were measured below the limit values in most of the samples, while these values were found to be high in some of the samples. The highest and lowest HMF values were measured between 4.58 -103.68 mg/kg, respectively. Many factors such as raw materials, additives, applied heat treatments, production processes and storage conditions are effective on produced pomegranate sauces. If the production conditions are regulated in accordance with the standards, the HMF values in pomegranate sauce will be below the limit.
... The seeds also have multiple fatty acid properties, mainly unsaturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidic acid, palmitoleic acid, and stearic acid (Melgarejo et al., 1995;Johanningsmeier and Harris, 2011) (Figure 1). Moreover, the seed coat consists of different organic acids such as malic acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid (Viuda-Martos et al., 2010). Additionally, pomegranate seed oil contains mostly conjugated linolenic acid. ...
... [2] Nowadays, pomegranate is widely cultivated throughout India, Iran, Mediterranean countries, Malaysia, the drier parts of Southeast Asia, the East Indies, tropical Africa, the United States (drier parts of California and Arizona), Japan, China, and Russia. [3] Pomegranate is not only a portion of healthy food, but it has also been used as a traditional Chinese medicine with ...
Papaya is one of the most important fruit trees cultivated throughout the tropical and subtropical regions and its production is rising worldwide. Its edible part has a high nutritional and sensory value and a great commercial potential. Mature papaya is consumed fresh and has been used in food processing and cosmetic industries. Along with some other parts such as leaves, seeds or skin, papaya has been used in traditional medicine in various countries. In fact, numerous studies have reported the presence of bioactive compounds with diverse biological properties in the papaya by-products, which has motivated the expansion of their applications. Papaya by-products have been demonstrated to exert a wide range of activities (e.g.; antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-dengue, anti-malarial, anti-fertility, diabetes prevention, insecticidal, anti-AIDS) that could be useful in pharmaceutical industry. They could be used in food industry, as a source of functional compounds and in innovative active packaging strategies, and in different cosmetic products, among other applications. Although this scenario indicates that the papaya industry could diversify and increase its economic value, there are two problems that significantly affect it: the spread of pathogens and the highly perishable nature of this fruit. On the one hand, genetic tools have been used to obtain transgenic varieties resistant to pathogens, while new preservation technologies have been explored. This review focuses on the main bioactive compounds, important physiological functions and applications of different papaya parts and also in the current development of genetically modified papaya in the industry and the research progress on storage and preservation.
Medicinal plants have been utilized for the cure of diseases for hundreds of years. Among the variety of plants, Punica granatum is an important plant whose fruit possesses significant ecological, nutritional, ornamental, and medicinal value. The presence of polyphenols (flavonoids, tannins, and anthocyanins), complex polysaccharides, and minerals contribute to its significant antioxidant nature and biological impetus in the treatment of various diseases. The fruit, peel, and its seeds are characteristically important to treat cancer, cardiovascular disorders, osteoporosis, bacterial and fungal infections, and male infertility.
Background
The oxidative stress caused by the creation and breakdown of reactive oxygen species affects glucose tolerance, B-cell function, insulin resistance, and metabolites containing free fatty acids. Functioning foods are therefore becoming increasingly popular because they provide health benefits and prevent oxidative stress. This research aims to assess strategies to alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In the present study, the metabolic effect wheat bread fortified with pomegranate peel powder(PPP) will be assessed in participants with type 2 diabetes.MethodsA randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, and parallel arms clinical trial will be conducted on 90 patients with T2DM. Run-in courses will last for two weeks. The intervention and control groups will receive wheat bread with and without PPP, respectively. Anthropometric data, fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1C, lipid profile, insulin level, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA), Total antioxidant capacity(TAC), and mood state, will be measured at the baseline and three months post-intervention. Beta-cell function (HOMA-B) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) will also be assessed.DiscussionThis trial will provide novel data on the impact of fortified bread with PPP on metabolic profile and mood state of patients with type 2 diabetes. The results will demonstrate the potential of such intervention in glycemic indices, antioxidant status, inflammation and mood in these patients.Trial RegistrationTrial is registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (ID: IRCT20191209045672N1). Date of registration 21/09/2020. https://en.irct.ir/trial/48132.
Polyphenols are a broad group of bioactive phytochemicals with powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antiviral activities. Numerous studies have demonstrated that polyphenol extracts obtained from natural sources can be used for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Pomegranate peel extract is an excellent source of polyphenols, such as punicalagin, punicalin, ellagic acid, and caffeic acid, among others. These phenolic compounds have antineoplastic activity in in vitro models of cervical cancer through the regulation of cellular redox balance, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and modulation of different signaling pathways. The current review summarizes recent data from scientific reports that address the anticancer activity of the predominant polyphenol compounds present in PPE and their different mechanisms of action in cervical cancer models.
Punicacae ailesinin bir üyesi olan nar, Punica granatum L., tıpkı diğer pek çok bitki gibi antik çağdan günümüze kadar ulaşan, tıbbi amaçlı olarak kullanıldığı bilinen, yenilebilir bir meyvedir. Narın kökleri, çiçeği, meyvesi, kabuğu, aril (çekirdek) ve diğer kısımları sağlık sektöründe aktif olarak kullanılmaktadır. Bu güncel çalışmanın amacı geçmişten günümüze fonksiyonel besin olarak tüketilebilen narın sağlığa olan etkilerinin farklı alt başlıklarda değerlendirilmesidir. Nar ve yan ürünleri anti-bakteriyel, anti-oksidan, anti-kanser, anti-obezite, anti-nörodejeneratif, anti-aterosklerotik, yara iyileşmesi gibi pek çok alanda kullanılmakta ve her geçen gün narın tıbbi kullanımına olan ilgi artmaktadır. Nar meyvesine bu fonksiyonelliği veren içindeki flavonoidler, polifenoller, ellajitaninler (gallik asit, ellajik asit, punikalin, punikalagin, luteolin, kuersetin, kamferol, glikosid, pedunkulagin) gibi fenolik maddelerdir. Bu maddeler sayesinde nar, kan glikoz düzeyini azaltma, kanser hücrelerinde apoptozisi arttırma, LDL ve total kolesterol gibi bazı kan yağları düzeylerini ve bel çevresini azaltma, nöroinflamasyonu azaltma ve oksidatif stresi azaltarak antioksidan etkiyi arttırma gibi etkilere sahiptir. Narda bulunan aktif maddelerin ilaç etkileşimlerine neden olup olmadığı halen tartışmalıdır. Nar ve türevlerinin özellikle anjiyotensin dönüştürücü enzimi (ACE) inhibe eden ilaçlar, antihipertansifler, karbamazepin, CYP 2D6 substratları, varfarin, rosuvastatin ve tolbutamit ile etkileşime girebileceği bilinmeli ve dikkatli olunmalıdır. Narın farklı kısımlarının içinde bulunan punikalagin ve punikalin başta olmak üzere bazı biyoaktif maddeler narın bu denli eşsiz olmasını sağlayan temel faktörlerdir.
Pestil, geleneksel Türk mutfağının lezzetlerinden biridir. Yaygın olarak üzümden yapılan pestilson yıllarda çok farklı meyvelerden üretilmeye başlanmıştır. Çalışmamızda %100 nar, karadut,ahududu ve frenk üzümü meyve suları kullanılarak geleneksel yöntemle pestiller eldeedilmiştir. Pestillerin fizikokimyasal, tekstürel ve duyusal özellikleri araştırılmıştır. Sonuçlaragöre pestillerin % kuru madde miktarları 78.17-82.16 (w/w); su aktivitesi 0.59-0.61; kalınlıkları2.09-2.18 mm; % (w/w) protein miktarları 3.09-5.79; % (w/w)kül miktarları 0.098-0.395 ve pHdeğerleri 2.36-3.55 arasında belirlenmiştir. Kuru madde, su aktivitesi ve kalınlık değerleriörnekler arasında istatistiki olarak önemsiz bulunurken, protein ve kül miktarları bakımındanen zengin olan pestil örnekleri ahududu pestilleri olmuştur. L (17.38), a (1.80) ve b (0.13) renkdeğerleri en düşük ve toplam fenolik madde miktarı (3650.6 mgGAE 100g-1) ile antioksidanaktivitesi (0.3269 MmolTE 100g-1) en yüksek olan nar pestilleri olmuştur. Mineral maddebileşimleri incelendiğinde Ca, K, Mg ve P bakımından en zengin pestil nar olmuşken, Fe, Mn veZn bakımından ahududu olmuştur. Tekstürel olarak en sert örnek karadut pestili olmuştur.Duyusal olarak pestiller arasında genel beğeni skorları istatistiksel olarak benzer bulunmuştur.Sonuç olarak hazır meyve sularından duyusal ve tekstürel özellikleri bakımından kabuledilebilir pestiller üretilebilmiştir.
The present research was carried out on Cyperus difformis L., commonly found sedge weed in rice field to evaluate its’ ethnopharmacological potential in terms of phytochemical constituents, antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer activities. FTIR spectroscopy of powdered material of plant parts, rhizome (with roots), leaves and flowers showed the presence of three main chemical groups, i.e. -OH (alcohol), -C=O (carbonyl) and -CO-O-CO (anhydride). The phytochemical composition of n-Hexane, chloroform and ethanol crude extracts of same parts analysed by GC-MS and n-Hexane extract of various parts indicated 14 compounds with highest (10) in flowers extract followed by six compounds in chloroform and five in ethanol extracts of plant parts. The antibacterial activity was assessed against Salmonella enterica, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus by using well diffusion method and similar resistance was shown by n-Hexane and ethanol extracts while noticeable inhibition by chloroform extract, especially by leaves showing zone of inhibition, 16.17±0.52mm, comparable with Gentamycin 18±0.11mm. The antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH Scavenging activity was found higher in n-Hexane and chloroform extracts, especially leaves i.e., 54.6±0.43 & 43.45±0.53 as compared to that of ethanol extracts. The percentage activity was increased with an increase of concentration of extracts. Antiproliferative activity checked by SRB proliferative assay and the crude extracts of plant parts of C. difformis showed good activity against A2780 and HCT116 cancer cells in three days. C. difformis having therapeutic action as well as its’ ethnopharmacological history, being used as fodder, it may be recommended good herbal fodder for the dairy animals.
Pomegranates, Punica granatum L., are said to provide various health advantages, according to accumulating research. The haematological effects of pomegranate white and red peel extracts on male rats with phenylhydrazine (PHZ)-induced anaemia are highlighted in this article. The phytoconstituents of the ethanolic extract of pomegranate white and red peels were identified using LCMS/MS analysis.We employed 48 male albino,. Six experimental groups of eight animals each were created at random from the total number of animals. Rats in group 1(C) served as the control, group, Group 2 (C-WPP), rats received WPP, Group 3 (C-RPP): rats received RPP extract, Group 4 (PHZ): rats received an i.p. injection of PHZ in saline in a dose of 50 mg/kg/day, Group 5 (PHZ-WPP) and, Group 6 (PHZ-RPP). Peripheral blood smears were measurements of iron level, G6PD, LDH, MDA, GPX, SOD, ALT, ALP, and AST were analyzed. By using LCMS/MS studies, 252 compounds were discovered; 163 of these compounds were tentatively recognized for the first time in the white and/or red peels of pomegranates, and 7 of these compounds were tentatively characterized for the first time in nature. Pretreatment with the white and/or red peels of pomegranates, however, greatly reduced this toxicity by modifying the organ's biomarkers, enhancing the tissue's redox status, and bringing serum biochemical parameters virtually back to normal levels. The ethanolic extract of red and white pomegranate peels displays a potent defense against free radicals and oxidative stress.
In the current study, cornstarch-based antimicrobial and edible films were designed using solution-casting methods. The medicinal plants (Acontium heterophyllum, Artemisia annua and Thymus serpyllum) reinforced the gelatinized solution in different concentrations as fillers. The effect of plant extracts on antimicrobial and antioxidant potential, microstructure, barrier, thermal and mechanical properties of cornstarch-based films (SBFs) was investigated using antimicrobial activity, DPPH free radical scavenging values, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, water vapor transmission rate, differential scanning calorimetry, and tensile strength. Likewise, it was depicted that the geometric and crystalline structures of medicinal plants' reinforced films remained the same even after processing. The mechanical tests indicated that the plant extracts effects are associated with reduced elongation, increasing tensile strength, and Young's modulus. Morphological analysis revealed the generation of uniform and compact surfaces. However, films with 10% concentration of plant extracts have the lowest water vapor permeability values and emerged better barrier properties. Moreover, these films showed significant antioxidant potential and antimicrobial activity.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) represents a major source of polyphenolic compounds. It has been gaining importance because of varied pharmacological activities attributed to its phytochemicals. This comprehensive review aimed to provide an exhaustive list of phytoconstituents found in pomegranate fruits, peel, flowers, and seeds along with their pharmacological activities. The potential of its different parts of pomegranate in treating diseases and the underlying mechanisms are discussed. The active phytochemical in the extract of pomegranate including flavonoids and tannins (ellagitannin and gallotannin) is responsible for the antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiangiogenic, and antiaging properties. These have resulted in increased patent filing in the last decades by different research groups. Bioactive constituents of pomegranate have industrial application in conversion into value-added foods. Its reducing properties have wide applicability in the preparation of nanoformulations. A role of its phytoconstituents in environmental pollution management may prove to be safe alternative compared to using pesticides or other chemicals. An emphasis has been given on the several human clinical trials evaluating its pharmacological significance. Most of the study showed no evidence of the acute or subacute toxicity. Its bioactive phytoconstituents may be developed into drugs to prevent various diseases, but detailed clinical trials are still lacking to prove its safety and efficacy.
India is the second largest consumer and producer of fruits globally. It leads to ample solid waste per year from fruit processing industries that have been proven hazardous to the surroundings. Punica granatum (Pomegranate) belongs to the Lythraceae subfamily Punicoideae, which exhibits immense nutritional properties and delicious flavoring components. The weight of this fruit mainly consists of peel, i.e., 50%, followed by 40% of arils and 10% of seeds. Thus, the major byproduct is a peel that holds many valuable bioactive compounds in higher concentrations viz saponins, carotenoids, steroids, polyphenols, quercetin derivatives, caffeic acid, phenolic acids, flavonoids, ellagitannins, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, anthocyanidins, triterpenoids, glycosides, tannins, and many more. Consequently, it results in wide-ranging therapeutic applications, including antioxidative, anti-microbial, antihypertensive, anti-carcinogenic, anti-genotoxic, anti-inflammatory, glucoregulation, cardio-protective, hepato-protective and nephroprotective effects along with prebiotic potential. Considering their nutritional and therapeutic aspects, these peels can be used for many purposes rather than being disposed of. With a value-added approach, it is utilized in many food and non-food sectors. So, this review aims to explore the therapeutic potential of P. granatum peel and enlighten its diverse applications in the food industry.
Herbs, Spices and Their Roles in Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods gives an overview of the many pharmacological activities associated with herbs and spices, including detailed coverage on their mechanisms and formulations for the food industry. Chapters focus on key ingredients such as Curcuma longa, Piper Nigrum and Trigonella foenum-graecum, with contributors across the globe providing the latest research and advances for each. This is an essential read for scientists who want to understand the fundamental mechanisms behind the bioactive compounds within herbs and spices. The numerous phytochemicals present in plant extracts have multiple pharmacological activities so there is extensive research into new bioactive compounds. The pharmacological activities of herbs and spices have been thoroughly investigated, and it is crucial that the latest research is organized into a comprehensive resource.
Although the pomegranate has been cultivated and utilized in food, health, and other applications since time immemorial, it is only during the last couple of decades that commercial production and global trade in pomegranate fruit and processed coproducts have taken off. Heightened market demand for a consistent and year-round supply of fresh pomegranate fruit and value-added products has resulted in the need for fast and accurate nondestructive methods for the detection, measurement, and prediction of the external and internal quality attributes. Nondestructive measurement and prediction methods, such as near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), offer tremendous prospects for application in measuring and predicting the organoleptic and nutritional quality of pomegranate. Unlike other deciduous fruits such as apple and pears with edible skin/peel, the unique structure of pomegranate fruit is comprised of nonedible thick rind/peel/husk, and edible arils containing juice and seed which presents challenges in measurements to characterize fruit quality. This chapter examines the recent technological advances in NIRS for the measurement and prediction of external and internal quality attributes of pomegranate, including appearance features, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and vitamin C. The application of NIRS, combined with chemometrics, to measure and predict external defects on whole fruit, and quality attributes of fruit peel, arils, and juice are discussed. Prospects of NIRS for on-site quality detection, measurement and control of pomegranates are highlighted.Keywords
Punica granatum
Infrared-spectroscopyNondestructive measurementFruit qualityPostharvest management
(1) Background: The pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum L.) has been widely used in traditional medicine and has increasingly gained popularity among consumers in order to manage different facets of health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the fruit extract of P. granatum L. on different parameters of skin health. (2) Methods: A prospective, double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted on both healthy males and females aged 25–55 years. Subjects were supplemented with a standardized punicalagin enriched oral pomegranate extract [Pomella® (Verdure Science, Noblesville, IN, USA), PE group] or a placebo (control group) daily for four weeks. Changes in wrinkle severity, facial biophysical properties, skin microbiome, and the gut microbiome were assessed. (3) Results: The PE group had significant reductions in wrinkle severity (p < 0.01) and a decreasing trend in the forehead sebum excretion rate (p = 0.14). The participants in the PE group with a higher relative abundance of Eggerthellaceae in the gut had a decrease in their facial TEWL (p < 0.05) and wrinkle severity (p = 0.058). PE supplementation led to an increase in the Staphylococcus epidermidis species and the Bacillus genus on the skin. (4) Conclusions: Overall, the study demonstrated improvements in several biophysical properties, wrinkles, and shifts in the skin microbiome with oral PE supplementation in healthy subjects.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of methylcellulose-based coatings functionalized with zinc oxide nanoparticles to improve the shelf life of pomegranate aril sacs. Fresh pomegranate aril sacs were dipped into six formulations of methylcellulose coatings functionalized with ZnONP at 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1%. Distilled water was used as a control. Aril sacs were packed in punnets and stored at 4°C for 24 days. At three-day intervals, weight loss, respiration, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS) and antioxidant capacity were investigated. The results showed that the treatments were significantly (p<0.05) different from the control (untreated samples). The treatment containing 0.25% ZnONP was the most effective at delaying respiration rate and maintaining the TA and TSS. All the ZnONP treatments showed promising results on storage stability of pomegranate aril sacs. At the end of the trials, treated fruit (14.89-19.61%) showed a lower weight loss than the control (21.53%). Respiration rate was also markedly lower in treated fruits (1.71 to 1.94 mL CO2 kg-1 h-1) compared to the control (2.78 mL CO2 kg-1 h-1), suggesting the ability of the treatments to control the physiology of the aril sacs. Treated samples were more acidic (1.18-1.22%) and sweeter (17.4-17.6 °Brix) compared to the TA (1.09%) and TSS (17.08 °Brix) of the control. This suggests that the treated samples exhibit better sensorial attributes than the control. Although considered effective, MC+ ZnONPs coatings require further investigation to understand the mode of action and optimise the concentration of ZnONPs in the methylcellulose matrix.
This study aimed to examine the effect of methylcellulose-zinc oxide nanoparticle (MC-ZnONP) composite coatings reinforced with cellulose nanofibre (CNF) to improve the shelf life of pomegranate aril sacs extracted from whole fruit subjected to prolonged storage before processing. Pomegranate fruit were stored at 5°C for 2 months before processing into pomegranate aril sacs. The minimally processed aril sacs were sanitized and coated for 3 min by dipping in MC-ZnONP composite reinforced with CNF at 0, 0.5, 1, 3 and 5% and distilled water was used as control. Aril sacs were packed in punnets and stored at 4°C for 15 d. Quality assessments, including weight loss, respiration, firmness, and antioxidant capacity, were investigated at 3-day intervals. MC-ZnONP reinforced with CNF (0.5%) significantly (p<0.05) reduced the weight loss, respiration rate and loss of firmness while effectively preserving the antioxidant content, and thus increased the shelf life of the aril sacs to 15 d, compared to the control which was limited to 9 d shelf life due to increased microbial growth. The treatment MC-ZnONP+CNF (5%) displayed 7.84% weight loss and 0.72 mL CO2 kg-1 h-1 respiration rate and maintained firmness (10.56 N), antioxidant capacity (FRAP, 34 mM TE mL-1) compared to control, which experienced a higher weight loss (9.48%) and respiration rate (1.86 mL CO2 kg-1 h-1) and decreased aril firmness (7.68 N). However, there were no significant differences in the antioxidant capacity (FRAP) between treated and control until 9 d. MC-ZnONP+CNF (5%) showed a promise in extending shelf life and maintaining quality attributes of aril sacs obtained from pomegranate fruit subjected to prolonged storage duration.
Soaring demand for high-quality pomegranate seed oil because of the health benefits associated with its consumption has gained global attention. The assessment of quality characteristics associated with pomegranate oil is known to be expensive, labor intensive and impractical on a commercial scale. Alternative ways of assessing quality attributes of this co-product of pomegranate fruit that are rapid, easy, and cost-effective are being implemented to meet consumers' satisfaction and production demand. This paper evaluates the application of rapid non-invasive methods, namely Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) and mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy, to predict the quality attributes of pomegranate seed oil qualitatively and quantitatively. For qualitative analysis, MIR spectra provided reliable discrimination between oil samples from different cultivars when using principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). For quantitative analysis, partial least squares regression was used to construct models, and the results suggest that FT-NIR spectroscopy was able to predict the total carotenoid content (R 2 , coefficient of determination, RMSEP; root mean square error of prediction, RPD; residual prediction deviation) (R 2 =84.38, RMSEP=0.019, RPD=2.28) and FT-MIR spectroscopy showed satisfactory prediction in peroxide value (R 2 =91.99, RMSEP=1.05, RPD=3.54) and refractive index (R 2 =91.27, RMSEP=0.0002, RPD=3.43). These results demonstrate the potential of infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis to rapidly screen pomegranate oil quality attributes.
A comparative study of the physicochemical attributes of dried pomegranate arils from three pomegranate cultivars ('Acco', 'Herskawitz' and 'Wonderful') was conducted. The hot-air drying experiment was carried out at 60°C, with 19.6% relative humidity and an air velocity of 1.0 m s-1. Dried pomegranate arils of each cultivar were assessed for colour, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and pH. The results showed that desirable quality attributes of the investigated dried pomegranate arils were cultivar dependent. The TSS, TA and pH were in the ranges of 16.3-21.0 °Brix, 1.23-1.50 (% citric acid) and 3.36-3.85, respectively. 'Wonderful' had the highest a* value while 'Acco' had the least. Furthermore, the values of aril colour intensity (C*) varied markedly among the cultivars; the highest and the least colour intensity were found in 'Wonderful' and 'Acco', respectively.
This handbook focuses on the use of antibiotic alternatives in poultry and fish feed. Chapters in the book cover a range of natural ingredients in feed and the impacts of these natural feed additives on growth, production, reproduction and health status of poultry and fish. All chapters give a holistic approach to how organic feed additives (herbal plants and their extracts, probiotics, peptides, etc.) can positively impact animal health and production.
Key Features:
- presents 13 chapters contributed by 38 experts and scientists of animal, poultry and fish nutrition, poultry and fish physiology, toxicology, pharmacology, and pathology
- highlights the significance of herbal plants and their extracts and derivatives, cold-pressed and essential oils and fruits by-products
- covers the effects of special ingredients such as immunomodulators, antimicrobial peptides, and probiotics
- provides the reader an updated perspective on the use of additives in poultry and fish industry as growth promoters and their role in developing bacterial resistance to antibiotics
- covers the main poultry species, egg-laying hens, quails, geese, ducks, turkey, and commercial fish
- includes references for advanced readers
This book will be useful for poultry and fish keepers and researchers in animal nutrition, pharmacology, and veterinary sciences. Professionals involved in the poultry and fish feed industry will also find the information useful for product development.
By-products obtained from the food processing industry have a potential value as animal feedstuffs and are becoming an important part of the food and fibre system used in livestock production. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a fruit-bearing deciduous tree that is widely grown in subtropical and tropical regions. Pomegranates are popularly consumed as fresh fruit, beverages, and food products (jams and jellies). Pomegranate peel makes up about 50% of the total fruit weight that remains after pomegranate juice production. This study was designed to investigate the effects of supplementing different levels of pomegranate peel (PP) powder to concentrate diet on the performance and carcass characteristics of Iraqi black goat kids. Eighteen weaned male goat kids were used in the current experiment. The goat kids were blocked according to their live weight and randomly divided into three different groups (6 lambs per group). Three different levels of PP powder were added to the concentrate diet, with 0 g/kg DM as a control group (GC), 20 g/kg DM as a low level of supplemented PP (LG), and 40 g/kg DM as a high level of supplemented PP (HG). Goat kids were kept in individual pens and received one of the three experimental diets for 12 weeks with free access to clean water and wheat straw. Data were analysed as randomized block designs. The results showed that adding different levels of PP significantly (P<0.05) reduced average daily weight gain: 95, 80, and 75 g/d, and feed conversion ratio: 10, 12.2, and 13 kg/kg for CG, LG, or HG respectively. While supplementation concentrated diet with PP powder either at 20 or 40 g/kg DM did not have any significant differences in all other studied traits.
Pomegranate peel (PoP) contains plenty of bioactive compounds and exhibits strong activity to prevent postprandial hyperglycaemia and improve diabetes mellitus. Presently, bioaffinity ultrafiltration coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) is employed to screen and identify the efficient α-glucosidase inhibitors in PoP and the detailed inhibitory mechanisms are further investigated. The results show that many substances, including ellagic acid, kaempferol, gallic acid, and resveratrol in PoP reveal strong activity to inhibit α-glucosidase and ellagic acid (EA) is screened as the most effective compound. Further research indicates that EA plays a competitive and reversible inhibition role against α-glucosidase with the value of K i was 6.24 × 10 ⁵ mol/L. EA also directly interacts with the amino acids of α-glucosidase mainly via van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds, thereby, influencing the secondary structure and stability of α-glucosidase. Finally, the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of EA is further confirmed to significantly reduce postprandial blood glucose in vivo .
Anthocyanins are known to change ligand-receptor bindings, cell membrane permeability, and intracellular signaling pathways. The beneficial effects of dietary anthocyanins have been chronologically demonstrated in interventional and observational studies, including fourteen human chondrocyte studies and related cell culture assays, nineteen human clinical trials in osteoarthritis patients, seven in vivo obesity assays, nineteen in vitro assays in preadipocytes and related cells, and twenty-two clinical trials in overweight/obese subjects, which are critically discussed in this update. Strawberries, cherries, berries, pomegranate, tropical fruits, rosehip, purple rice, purple corn, red beans, and black soybean, together with cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin, some 3-O-glycosides, metabolites, and acylated anthocyanins from a potato cultivar have shown the best outcomes. The set of these five key tests and clinical trials, taken together, contributes to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and pathways involved. Furthermore, this set shows the value of anthocyanins in counteracting the progression of osteoarthritis/obesity. The interplay between the inflammation of osteoarthritis and obesity, and the subsequent regulation/immunomodulation was performed through isolated and food anthocyanins. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties of anthocyanins explain the findings of the studies analyzed. However, further interventional studies should be conducted to finally establish the appropriate doses for anthocyanin supplementation, dose-response, and length of consumption, to include dietary recommendations for osteoarthritis/obese patients for preventive and management purposes.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a gel containing the extract of Punica granatum as an antifungal agent against candidosis associated with denture stomatitis. Sixty patients with denture stomatitis confirmed by clinical and mycologic examination were selected. The patients were randomly allocated in two groups of 30 individuals each according to the medication prescribed: group A used miconazole (Daktarin(R) gel oral) and group B used a gel of P. granatum Linne (pomegranate). Both groups used the medicines three times per day for 15 days. Forty-eight hours after finishing the treatment the patients were re-examined and a second set of samples was collected for mycologic examination. The medicines were evaluated for their clinical response and negativity for Candida. The clinical results showed a satisfactory and regular response in 27 and 21 subjects of groups A and B, respectively. Negativity of yeasts was observed in 25 subjects of group A and 23 of group B. It can be concluded that the extract of P. granatum may be used as a topical antifungal agent for the treatment of candidosis associated with denture stomatitis.
Pomegranate, a small tree with potential human health benefits, is grown mainly in Iran, India and USA as well as in most Near and Far East countries. It has been used extensively in folk medicine for a number of therapeutic purposes. In the present study, the ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay (FRAP) was employed and the FRAP value of the seed fraction of six different cultivars of pomegranate in Iran was determined in an attempt to compare their differing antioxidant acitivity. The antioxidant activity of seed fraction of six different cultivars of pomegranate in water extracts showed that the Sour white peel cultivar has the highest FRAP value (3.45±0.85 μM) and the Agha Mohamad Ali cultivar has the lowest value (2.76±0.76 μM); ethanolic extract of the seeds showed that Sour white peel and Black peel cultivars have the highest (3.88±1.31 μM) and lowest (1.62±0.47 μM) antioxidant activity, respectively. Results indicated that the extracts obtained from pomegranate seeds using various solvents exhibited various degrees of antioxidant activity. Further, it was cleared that Sour white peel had the highest potent antioxidant activity among different pomegranate seed cultivars and, so might be useful for its health benefits.
Salivary α-amylase, one of the most plentiful components in human saliva, has at least three distinct biological functions. The enzymatic activity of a-amylase undoubtedly plays a role in carbohydrate digestion. Amylase in solution binds with high affinity to a selected group of oral streptococci, a function that may contribute to bacterial clearance and nutrition. The fact that a-amylase is also found in acquired enamel pellicle suggests a role in the adhesion of a-amylase-binding bacteria. All of these biological activities seem to depend on an intact enzyme conformation. Binding of a-amylase to bacteria and teeth may have important implications for dental plaque and caries formation. a-Amylase bound to bacteria in plaque may facilitate dietary starch hydrolysis to provide additional glucose for metabolism by plaque microorganisms in close proximity to the tooth surface. The resulting lactic acid produced may be added to the pool of acid in plaque to contribute to tooth demineralization.
Dietary habit is instrumental in about 50% of human colorectal cancers. Consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk of several types of cancer, including colorectal malignancy. These foods contain many non-nutritive as well as nutritive compounds, such as carotenoids, dithiolthiones, flavonoids, glucosinolates, indoles, isothiocyanates, monoterpenes, phenols, sterols, sulfhydryls and vitamins (including C, E and folate). There may be other unknown non-nutritive constituents in foods that can reduce cancer development. Studies using experimental chemical carcinogenesis models have indicated that several non-nutritive components, belonging to different chemical groups, in foods protect against certain types of cancer, including colorectal neoplasm. Many of these chemicals are known as potential "cancer chemopreventive agents" and are antioxidants that suppress carcinogenesis by (i) inhibiting phase I enzymes or blocking carcinogen formation, (ii) induction of phase II (detoxification) enzymes, (iii) scavenging DNA reactive agents, (iv) modulation of hormone homeostasis, (v) suppression of hyper-cell proliferation induced by carcinogen, (vi) induction of apoptosis, (vii) depression of tumor angiogenesis, and/or (viii) inhibition of certain phenotypic expressions of preneoplastic and neoplastic cells. Given the definite increase in the increase of colorectal cancer, we should determine the most effective mean of prevention and understand the mechanism(s) underlying successful prevention. There are critical interrelationships between diet, environmental factors and genetics that can affect cancer risk. However, non-nutritive compounds in fruits, vegetables and other dietary constituents (teas, spices and herbs) consumed as part of the diet have the ability to reduce cancer occurrence in pre-clinical animal carcinogenesis models. Although epidemiologic studies show similar associations, there have been very few intervention studies to date. This article describes our recent studies to determine whether several raturally occurring non-nutritive products from edible plants have any effective chemopreventive effects on colorectal carcinogenesis in rodents.
5 Abstract: Aeromonas hydrophila is a very prevalent species. It can cause both intestinal and nonintestinal infections in humans and can often be fatal. Moreover, in the recent years, naturally occurring antioxidant compounds have gained considerable attention as antibacterial agents. The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of pomegranate fruit juice (PJ) against Aeromonas hydrophila- induced intestinal histopathological alterations as one of the edible safe natural products. Seventy-two adult MF1 male mice were used and divided into three groups; first group, control group, was injected with phosphate-buffered saline PBS at dose and intervals parallel to the treated groups. Second group was injected i.p. with purified lipopolysaccharides (LPS) extracted from Aeromonas hydrophila once a week for four weeks. Third group was injected with LPS suspension as second group and synergistically received drinking water supplemented with pomegranate fruit extract. The bacteria infected group showed severe deterioration in the intestinal mucosa in the form of villar atrophy, necrosis of apical enterocytes and wide destruction of crypt cells. At th e ultrastructural level, many enterocytes showed completely damaged organelles and dissolved cytoskeletal. The treatment with pomegranate juice significantly and substantially prevented the intestinal histopathological changes and normalized its morphometric parameters. It was concluded that pomegranate juice holds great promise as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory new therapeutic. Also, we advise use of pomegranate in human nutrition as table fruit or juice for its antioxidant qualities.
Dietary antioxidants including phenolic compounds are believed to be effective nutrients in the prevention of oxidative stress related disease. Pomegranate has been used for centuries in ancient cultures for its medicinal purpose and is widely acknowledged for antioxidant properties. The present study was designed to assess the effect of pomegranate fresh fruit consumption on the plasma antioxidant capacity. Thirty healthy volunteers were recruited for the study. Volunteers were randomly divided into three groups (pomegranate, vitamin E and water consumption). Blood samples were collected, after at least 12 hours overnight fast, the day before beginning supplementation period and the day after supplementation had finished. Total antioxi- dant capacity measurement by FRAP method and clinical laboratory test were performed for all volunteers in two selected times. The obtained data revealed that consumption of 100 grams pomegranate and vitamin E per day for ten days resulted in a significant rise (14.05%, 8.28%) plasma antioxidant capacity respectively, but this difference was not significant for water group.
The ethyl acetate extract of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruits was fractionated by chromatographic techniques to afford the ellagitannin punicalagin. The substance was found to be active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and was identified by HPLC/UV and 1HNMR. The antibacterial assays that guided the isolation of the tannin were conducted using the disc diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the dilution method according to NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards) procedure.
The occurrence of ellagitannins in common foodstuffs is limited to a few fruit and nut species. Dietary intake of ellagitannins is largely explained by the consumption of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. No reliable figures are available for the ellagitannin burden, but it will probably not exceed 5 mg day⁻¹. Their bioavailability is not well defined. A fraction of the ellagitannins ingested is hydrolysed in the gut and the resulting ellagic acid absorbed and metabolised, but whether intact ellagitannins are absorbed is not clear. There are apparently conflicting claims for beneficial and toxic effects caused by ellagitannins, ellagic acid or ellagitannin‐containing extracts in various animal species including rodents and ruminants. It seems unlikely that normal consumption can cause toxic effects in man, but any attempt to increase the intake significantly in pursuit of the suggested benefits should be resisted until the metabolism and pharmacokinetics are better understood.
© 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
The objective of this study is to determine the potential antimicrobial activity of water and ethanolic extracts from five medicinal plants against bacteria isolated from diseased fairy shrimps. The antimicrobial efficacy of Andrographis paniculata, Garcinia mangostana, Psidium guajava, Punica granatum and Terninalia catappa was evaluated against four gram negative bacteria including Aeromonas sobria, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter sp. and Chryseobacterium sp. using agar well diffusion method at three concentration levels (100, 10, and 1 mg/ml). Among the tested plants, P. granatum extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against all four bacterial strains at 10 mg/ml. In addition, almost all species of plants were found to have activity on at least two microbial strains. However, the diameters of inhibition zone were different according to the kinds and concentrations of plant extracts and bacterial strains. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of both water and ethanolic extract of P. granatum and ethanolic extract of T. catappa were highly effective against all bacterial strains tested with the MICs ranging from 3.125 mg/ml to 25 mg/ml. The ethanolic extract of P. granatum was very active against A. sobria at a concentration of 3.125 mg/ml.
Antisalmonella activity of some important plants in the Ayurvedic system of traditional medicine used in India to treat enteric diseases was screened. The aqueous and methanol extracts of 47 medicinal plants were studied for their antibacterial activity against pathogenic Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi A, and Salmonella typhimurium. The in vitro antibacterial activity was performed by agar well diffusion method and the results are expressed as the average diameter of zone of inhibition of bacterial growth around the well. Of the herbal extracts tested, 33 plant extracts were found to have antibacterial activity against at least one of the salmonella strains tested with inhibition zones ranging from 9 to 27 mm. Both extracts of Nyctanthes arbortristis, Garcinia indica, Rubia cordifolia, Azadiracta indica, and Momordica charantia exhibited strong anti-salmonella activity . The aqueous extracts were found to be more active than methanol extracts in the present study.
1. The Functional Food Science in Europe (FUFOSE) project was introduced, evaluated and accepted by the EU DG XII FAIR Programme as a Concerted Action. Its aim was to develop and establish a science-based approach for the emerging concepts in functional food development. Over the last three years of this EU Concerted Action co-ordinated by ILSI Europe, scientific data have been evaluated and new concepts have been elaborated. This Consensus Document is the culmination of the EU Concerted Action and its key points and recommendations are summarized here. It is by no means the end of the process, but, rather, an important starting point and the stimulus for functional food development. 2. Considerable progress has been made in scientific knowledge leading to the identification of functional food components which might eventually lead to an improved state of health and well-being and/or reduction of risk of disease. Consumers are becoming more aware of this development as they seek a better-quality, as well as a longer, life. The food industry has an opportunity to provide products that are not only safe and tasty, but also functional. The originality of the approach in this EU Concerted Action is that it is function-based, rather than product-based. The latter approach would have to be influenced by local considerations of different cultural as well as dietary traditions, whereas the function-based approach starts from the biologically based science that is universal. Furthermore, and most importantly, the function-based approach in this EU Concerted Action has allowed the development of ideas that suggest a unique way in which to link this scientific basis of functional foods with the communication about their possible benefits to consumers. 3. This EU Concerted Action has adopted the following working definition, rather than a firm definition, for functional foods: A food can be regarded as 'functional' if it is satisfactorily demonstrated to affect beneficially one or more target functions in the body, beyond adequate nutritional effects in a way that is relevant to either an improved state of health and well-being and/or reduction of risk of disease. 4. Functional foods must remain foods and they must demonstrate their effects in amounts that can normally be expected to be consumed in the diet. They are not pills or capsules, but part of a normal food pattern. A functional food can be a natural food, a food to which a component has been added, or a food from which a component has been removed by technological or biotechnological means. It can also be a food where the nature of one or more components has been modified, or a food in which the bioavailability of one or more components has been modified; or any combination of these possibilities. A functional food might be functional for all members of a population or for particular groups of the population, which might be defined, for example, by age or by genetic constitution. 5. The development of functional foods must rely on basic scientific knowledge of target functions in the body that are relevant to an improved state of health and well-being and/or the reduction of risk of diseases, the identification of validated markers for these target functions and the evaluation of sound scientific data from human studies for their possible modulation by foods and food components. This EU Concerted Action has proposed that markers can be classified according to whether they are markers of exposure to the functional food component whether they are markers that relate to target function or biological response or whether they are intermediate markers of the actual disease endpoint or health outcome. 6. Consumers must be made aware of the scientific benefits of functional foods and this requires clear and informative communication through messages (claims) on products and in accompanying materials. This EU Concerted Action has identified two types of claims that are vital to functional food development and has provided a scientific basis for them to help those who have to formulate and regulate the claims. Claims for 'Enhanced Function Claims' (Type A) should require that evidence for the effects of the functional food is based on establishment and acceptance of validated markers of Improved Target Function or Biological Response, while claims for the Reduced Risk Of A Disease (Type B) should require that evidence is based on the establishment and acceptance of Markers of Intermediate Endpoints of Disease. These markers must be shown to be significantly and consistently modulated by the functional food or the functional food component for either type of claim to be made. This EU Concerted Action has therefore proposed a scheme whereby the scientific basis of functional food development can be linked to the communication of their benefits to the public. If the principles of such a scheme can be universally adopted then this should ultimately improve communication to consumers and minimize their confusion. 7. Functional foods must be safe according to all standards of assessing food risk and new approaches to safety might need to be established. This EU Concerted Action proposes that the development of validated markers as described above should, if possible, be used and integrated in the safety assessment with particular attention being paid to long-term consequences and interactions between components. 8. The development of functional foods, with their accompanying claims, will proceed hand in hand with progress in food regulation, which is the means to guarantee the validity of the claims as well as the safety of the food. Science in itself cannot be regulated and functional food science provides only the scientific basis for these regulations. 9. The Individual Theme Group papers, which are the science base for this Concerted Action, represent the critical assessment of the literature by European experts.
In the vegetable kingdom there are many substances showing antimicrobial properties. Though these secondary compounds are not indispensable for vegetables, they increase plant survival possibilities. Those can be used as therapeutic agents, additives, alimentary preservatives or biological agents for agricultural diseases. In fact, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a fruit tree species that shows very low bacterial disease incidence. The current study analyses and evaluates the antimicrobial effectiveness of pomegranate fruit raw extracts over the following bacterial species: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enteroccocus faecalis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Staphyloccocus aureus, Microccocus luteus and Bacillus sp. Our results shows that all the crude extracts from P. granatum fruit posses antimicrobial activity although, at the concentrations tested, none was more effective than a solution containing 1% phenol. According to the data obtained, the most powerful extract resulted to be the one from the pomegranate juice. The antimicrobial effectiveness of the extracts also depends on the species of bacteria evaluated, the more sensitive being the Gram-positive species Staphyloccocus aureus and Bacillus sp. Our next aim will be the identification and purification of the juice substances that shows this antimicrobial activity.
Radical scavenging activities of water soluble extracts from leaves, fruit peel, seeds, and juice of pomegranate were measured by the 1, 1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azinobis 3-Ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-Sulphonate (ABTS) methods. In both methods, both leaf and peel exhibited very strong antioxidant activity and high polyphenol content when compared to seeds and juice, and they had the same IC50 values of 0.14 mg/ml in the DPPH method; juice of pomegranate had higher radical scavenging activity than seeds but lower polyphenol content. The antioxidative capacities among pomegranate juice, apple juice and orange juice were also compared. The pomegranate juice is obviously higher than the apple juice and the orange juice in two kinds of free radical elimination activity, and apple juice showed the lowest in both DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. The relation between the polyphenol content and the antioxidative activities was analyzed.
The alkaloid patterns of different bark samples of Punica granatum from Yugoslavia have been studied. In addition to the known alkaloids pelletierine, N-methylpelletierine and pseudopelletierine ten further alkaloids could be detected by capillary GLC-M.S. Some of these are the 2- and 2,6-substituted alkaloids sedridine, 2-(2'-hydroxypropyl)Δ1-piperidine, 2-(2'-propenyl) Δ1-piperidine and norpseudopelletierine. The pyrrolidine alkaloids hygrine and norhygrine were only found in the root bark. The necessity for verifying the quality of the pomegranate bark as an anthelmintic drug is discussed
Dietary supplementation with polyphenolic antioxidants to animals was shown to be associated with inhibition of LDL oxidation and macrophage foam cell formation, and attenuation of atherosclerosis development.We investigated the effects of pomegranate juice (PJ, which contains potent tannins and anthocyanins) consumption by atherosclerotic patients with carotid artery stenosis (CAS) on the progression of carotid lesions and changes in oxidative stress and blood pressure.Ten patients were supplemented with PJ for 1 year and five of them continued for up to 3 years. Blood samples were collected before treatment and during PJ consumption. In the control group that did not consume PJ, common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) increased by 9% during 1 year, whereas, PJ consumption resulted in a significant IMT reduction, by up to 30%, after 1 year. The patients’ serum paraoxonase 1 (PON 1) activity was increased by 83%, whereas serum LDL basal oxidative state and LDL susceptibility to copper ion-induced oxidation were both significantly reduced, by 90% and 59%, respectively, after 12 months of PJ consumption, compared to values obtained before PJ consumption. Furthermore, serum levels of antibodies against oxidized LDL were decreased by 19%, and in parallel serum total antioxidant status (TAS) was increased by 130% after 1 year of PJ consumption. Systolic blood pressure was reduced after 1 year of PJ consumption by 21% and was not further reduced along 3 years of PJ consumption. For all studied parameters, the maximal effects were observed after 1 year of PJ consumption. Further consumption of PJ, for up to 3 years, had no additional beneficial effects on IMT and serum PON1 activity, whereas serum lipid peroxidation was further reduced by up to 16% after 3 years of PJ consumption.The results of the present study thus suggest that PJ consumption by patients with CAS decreases carotid IMT and systolic blood pressure and these effects could be related to the potent antioxidant characteristics of PJ polyphenols.
The effect of Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.(Prunus mume) extract on the production of verotoxins by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157: H7 (EHEC) was investigated. The amount of vero-toxins (ng/ml) produced was calculated and revised according to the ratio between the amount of vero-toxins detected in the test tube and the viable cell numbers of EHEC. Production of EHEC vero-toxins was inhibited by the extract of the fruit of Prunus mume at 156 mg/ml. This inhibitory effect was obtained at a dose below the minimal inhibitory concentration (625 mg/ml) of the Prunus mume extract, indicating that this extract seems to act on the vero-toxin-producing cells of EHEC before vero-toxins are produced.
The spontaneous reaction of atmospheric oxygen with organic compounds leads to a number of degradative changes that reduce the lifetime of many products of interest to the chemical industry, especially polymers, as well as causing the deterioration of lipids in foods. The importance of oxygen in the deterioration of rubber was demonstrated over a century ago,¹ and this finding led chemists to investigate the chemistry of oxidative deterioration and its inhibition.
Cited By (since 1996):2, Export Date: 18 October 2014
The effects of cooking temperature (60–80 �C), time (15–60 min) and treatments (atmospheric pressure, sous-vide and cook-vide) on M. pectoralis beef steaks were investigated. Cooking losses as well as the physical properties (color, texture) of the meat cooked using the different procedures was compared. Changes in the microstructure of the endomysium and perimysium were assessed using cryo-scanning
electron microscopy. The continuous vacuum cooking (cook-vide) is able to reduce the temperature during cook procedure. When color was analysed after the treatments, it was not the smaller oxygen present that seems to affect the changes observed, but rather the temperature effect. The vacuum cooking does not imply greater weight losses than when carried out at atmospheric pressure in the same temperatures. In the
cook-vide treatment, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between 60 and 70–80 �C were observed.
The IGF axis is critical for the regulation of apoptosis in many human cancer cell lines. Recently, potent anti-tumorigenic effects of pomegranate juice and extracts have been reported. Consequently, pomegranate has potential not only as a treatment but also as a preventative measure against certain types of cancer, including prostate. In this study, we investigated the relationship between pomegranate-induced apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells and the IGF/IGFBP system. Treatment of LAPC4 prostate cancer cells with 10 μg/ml POMx, a highly potent pomegranate extract prepared from skin and arils minus seeds and standardized to ellagitannin content (37% punicalagins by HPLC), resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, co-treatment with POMx and IGFBP-3 revealed synergistic stimulation of apoptosis and additive inhibition of cell growth. Western blot analysis revealed that treatment with POMx or POMx/IGFBP-3 combination resulted in increased JNK phosphorylation, and decreased Akt and mTOR activation, consistent with a growth inhibitory, pro-apoptotic function. We also investigated the relationship between IGF-1 and pomegranate-induced apoptosis in 22RV1 prostate cancer cells. Co-treatment with 100 ng/ml IGF-1 completely blocked apoptosis induction by POMx. In contrast, IGF-I failed to inhibit POMx-induced apoptosis in R- cells, suggesting the importance of IGF-IR. POMx-treatment decreased Igf1 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner indicating that its actions also involve tumor-specific suppression of IGF-1. These studies revealed novel interactions between the IGF system and pomegranate-induced apoptosis.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-{gamma} activators are widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes because they improve the sensitivity of insulin receptors. Punica granatum flower (PGF) has been used as an anti-diabetic medicine in Unani medicinal literature. The mechanism of actions is, however, unknown. In the current study, we demonstrated that 6-week oral administration of methanol extract from PGF (500 mg/kg, daily) inhibited glucose loading-induced increase of plasma glucose levels in Zucker diabetic fatty rats (ZDF), a genetic animal model for type 2 diabetes, whereas it did not inhibit the increase in Zucker lean rats (ZL). The treatment did not lower the plasma glucose levels in fasted ZDF and ZL rats. Furthermore, RT-PCR results demonstrated that the PGF extract treatment in ZDF rats enhanced cardiac PPAR-{gamma} mRNA expression and restored the down-regulated cardiac glucose transporter (GLUT)-4 (the insulin-dependent isoform of GLUTs) mRNA. These results suggest that the anti-diabetic activity of PGF extract may result from improved sensitivity of the insulin receptor. From the in vitro studies, we demonstrated that the PGF extract enhanced PPAR-{gamma} mRNA and protein expression and increased PPAR-{gamma}-dependent mRNA expression and activity of lipoprotein lipase in human THP-1-differentiated macrophage cells. Phytochemical investigation demonstrated that gallic acid in PGF extract is mostly responsible for this activity. Thus, our findings indicate that PPAR-{gamma} is a molecular target for PGF extract and its prominent component gallic acid, and provide a better understanding of the potential mechanism of the anti-diabetic action of PGF.
Ten pomegranate varieties were analysed for their percent of skin, juice, seed, lipid content and moisture, and sugars, minerals, vitamin C, protein, pH, titrable acidity (TA) and soluble solid content (SSC) of juices. Predominant sugars were fructose (3.50 to 5.96g/100g) and glucose (3.40 to 6.40g/100g). Saccharose and maltose were not practically detected in any variety. K, Na, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb and Cd were determined by ICP atomic spectroscopy. Contents of K, Na, Ca and Mg were the highest among minerals in fruit juices. The average concentration of vitamin C, protein, TA, SSC and pH were 0.09-0.40mg/100g, 0.29-1.93%, 4.0-24.5g/L, 10.0-16.5°Brix and 2.90-4.21, respectively.
The inhibitory effects of five essential oils (thyme, sage, nutmeg, eucaptus and cassia) against Alternaria alternata were tested at different concentrations (100–500ppm) in vitro. The cassia oil and thyme oil both exhibited antifungal activity against A. alternata. The cassia oil inhibited completely the growth of A. alternata at 300–500ppm. The thyme oil exhibited a lower degree of inhibition 62.0% at 500ppm. Spore germination and germ tube elongation of the pathogens in potato dextrose broth was strongly inhibited in the presence of 500ppm cassia oil. Irreversible inhibition of fungal growth could be caused by exposure to 300ppm and 400ppm cassia oil for 6 days and 500ppm cassia oil for 3 days. Cassia oil at 500ppm reduced the percentage of decayed tomatoes. The experiments on reducing natural decay development of tomatoes gave similar results. Therefore, essential oils could be an alternative to chemicals for control of postharvest phytopathogenic fungi on fruits or vegetables.
Flavonoids and ascorbic acid have gained especial relevance due to their functional properties. Their level in processed foodstuffs depend not only on the raw material composition but also on the processing system employed. The contents of these two nutraceuticals in juice are determined in two lemon varieties. The highest ascorbic acid contents are in Fino lemon juice, irrespective of the system of extraction used. However, a clear technological effect of the extraction system has been found on the levels of the different types of flavonoids.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit is widely used in the food and process industries due to its excellent nutritional and health value and as a raw
material for the manufacture of secondary products such as jellies, dyes, and cosmetics. The objectives of this research were
to determine the vitamin C content and antimicrobial properties of fresh and dried fractions of fruit peel and arils of locally
grown and imported pomegranate in Oman. A significant variation in vitamin C content was found among the five varieties of
pomegranate studied, ranging from 52.8 to 72.0 mg/100 g fresh weight (fw) for arils and 76.8 to 118.4 mg/100 g fw for peels.
Irrespective of the variety of pomegranate, vitamin C content in the peel was significantly higher than the aril, with differences
ranging from 24.4% to 97.0% depending on variety. Fruit fractions showed antimicrobial effects (inhibition zone) on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but not Escherichia coli. Sun drying of fruit peel significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced vitamin C retention and antimicrobial effects in comparison with oven drying presumably due to lower rate
of moisture removal associated with low temperature drying over longer duration in comparison with short-time high-temperature
oven drying.
The edible parts of pomegranate fruit represented 52% of total fruit weight, comprising 78% juice and 22% seeds. The fresh juice contained 85.4% moisture, 10.6% total sugars, 1.4% pectin, 0.1 g/100 ml total acidity (as citric acid), 0.7 mg/100 ml ascorbic acid, 19.6 mg/100 ml free amino nitrogen and 0.05 g/100 ml ash. Meanwhile, the seeds are a rich source of total lipids, protein, crude fibers and ash representing 27.2, 13.2, 35.3 and 2.0%, respectively, and also contained 6.0% pectin and 4.7% total sugars. The iron, cupper, sodium, magnesium and zinc contents of the juice were lower than those of seeds, except potassium which was 49.2 ppm in the juice.On the other hand, the physical and chemical properties of seed's lipids indicated that the refractive index was 1.518, melting point 13.0°C, iodine value 74.2, acid number 1.1, unsaponifiable matters 0.7%, saponification value 188.9, ester value 187.8 and glycerol content 10.3%. Moreover, the studied lipids contained 11 fatty acids, from them caprylic, the predominant acid, represented 36.3%, followed by stearic acid (22.5%). Furthermore, oleic and linoleic acids covered 5.1% and 10.3%, respectively. Otherwise, the saturated fatty acids of seed's lipids of pomegranate composed 83.6% of the total fatty acids content.
