• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2007

To examine the effects of pomegranate on cerebral blood flow and obesity, we observed regional cerebral blood flow in normal rats, as well as body weight, serum total cholesterol, serum HDL-cholesterol, serum LDL-cholesterol, serum triglycerides, serum total lipids, serum phospholipids and serum free fatty acid levels in rats fed a high fat diet. The results were as follows. Pomegranate seed extract significantly increased regional cerebral blood flow and the peel extract increased regional the cerebral blood flow in a dose dependent manner. In addition, the pomegranate extracts(seed, peel, juice) decreased body weight, serum total cholesterol, serum LDL-cholesterol, serum triglycerides, serum total lipids, serum phospholipids and serum free fatty acid levels, and increased serum HDL-cholesterol in the rats fed a high fat diet. More specially the seed extract significantly decreased serum total cholesterol, serum triglycerides and serum phospholipid levels.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.81-97
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• 2007

Punica granatum, L. (Pomegranate) has 613 seeds which accidentally corresponds to the 613 commandments in the Bible. Accordingly, the fruit has been worshipped by the Jewish and other religious people from the ancient. Pomegranate's seed, peel and juice contain a variety of ethnomedical components so much as the sum of three kinds of other common fruits. The number of published papers related to the pomegranate in recent 7 years flourished 7 times more than before at the bases of Medline record. Since the containments of estrogen, as $17{\alpha}-estradiol,\;17{\beta}-estradiol$, estrone, and estradiol, etc., in pomegranate have been reported, public interests and commercial values of pomegranate arose considerably. The report was disproved later, however, merits of this fruit remained yet; clinical efficacy for preventing and remediating cancers including breast and prostate cancers by oral administration of the juice, seed oil, and peel extract is still believed to be true. In this review, target components of pomegranate such as antioxidants, anticancers, antiestrogens and ethnomedical components were analyzed and discussed along with examining its pharmaceutical efficacy and prescription to postmenopausal lesion, cardiosclerosis, cosmetic beautification, viral and allergic symptoms, and diabetes mellitus, etc.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.1063-1072
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• 2011

This study analyzed the functional components and antioxidant activities of pomegranate juice and pomegranate husk, endocarp and seed extracts by comparing Korean and Iranian pomegranates. Korean pomegranate husk (KPH) had the highest total polyphenol content among the pomegranate extracts, and total phytoestrogen content was highest in Korean pomegranate endocarp (KPE). Iranian pomegranate endocarp (IPE) and Iranian pomegranate husk (IPH) showed the highest flavonoid levels. Overall, Korean pomegranate had more functional components than those in Iranian pomegranate. KPE had the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity and superoxide dismutase like-activity among all of the extracts, and KPH had the highest nitrite scavenging activity. IPE showed the highest superoxide anion scavenging activity. The ABTS$^+$ assay also indicated that IPH had the highest antioxidant activities. This study also showed that the more total polyphenols, flavonols, and phytoestrogens the pomegranate contained, the higher antioxidant activities. A positive correlation was observed between total polyphenol, flavonol and phytoestrogen levels and antioxidant activities. Korean pomegranates contained more functional components and had higher antioxidant activity than those of Iranian pomegranates. Additionally, pomegranate endocarp and seed extracts were better than pomegranate juice in terms of functional components and antioxidant activity. These results suggest that pomegranate husk, endocarp and seed extracts as well as pomegranate juice may have value as natural antioxidants with their high quality functional components and antioxidant activity.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.31 no.2 s.51
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• pp.207-212
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• 2005

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) which is very rich in Polyphenols and tannins was recently reported its anti-oxidant activities and phytoestrogenic activities in vivo test and many clinical studies, but the effects of them on the skin have not been reported. The experiments were tarried out in vitro to determine anti-oxidant activities of pomegranate extracts on DPPH radical scavenging assay, NBT/Xanthine Oxidase-superoxide scavenging assay, silica-induced intracellular $H_2O_2$, hydroperoxide and superoxide generation assay in RAW 264.7 cells. It showed that the methanolic extract of dried pomegranate peels have the most significant anti-oxidant activities on free radical scavenging assay and inhibitory activities on silica-induced intracellular free radical generation in RAW 264.7 cells. The concentrated juice of pomegranate showed only DPPH radical scavenging activities and inhibited hyaluronidase activity. Moreover, pomegranate seed oil inhibited specially silica-induced intracellular hydroperoxide generation in RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that the methanolic extract of dried pomegranate peels and pomegranate seed oil have more anti-oxidant activity than concentrated juice of pomegranate. Thus the extracts of pomegranate peels and seed oil could be developed cosmetic ingredients for anti-aging.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.21 no.2 s.86
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• pp.171-179
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• 2005

This study was investigated on antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of PSW(pomegranate seed water extract), PSE(pomegranate seed ethanol extract) and PSO(pomegranate seed oil). The extraction yields of PSW, PSE and PSO were 28.9, 13.0 and $4.9\%$, respectively. Total phenol contents of PSW, PSE and PSO were 47, 78 mg/g(dry basis) and 40 mg/g, respectively. Electron donating abilities of PSW, PSE and PSO at 1,000 ppm were 18.8, 28.5 and $9.7\%$, respectively. Antioxidative activities in Iinoleic acid substrates at 500 ppm were in order of PSE > $\alpha-tocopherol$ > PSW > PSO. Antioxidative activities in Iinoleic acid emulsion substrates at 200 ppm were in order of $\alpha-tocopherol$l > PSE > PSW > PSO. In antimicrobial activity, PSO showed growth inhibition effect against Micrococcus luteus, Salmonella enteritidis and PSW showed growth inhibition effect against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli. Whereas antimicrobial activity of PSE was not observed. The nitrite-scavenging abilities of PSW, PSE and PSO at 2,000 ppm were 27.5, 23.7 and $39.6\%$, respectively. And the SOD-like activities of PSW, PSE and PSO at 1,000 ppm were 15.9, 34.9 and $0.10\%$, respectively.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.726-733
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• 2009

Six types of oil were extracted from pomegranate seed, mung bean, pepper seed, safflower seed, seeds of Cassia tora Linnaeus, and perilla seed. The extracted seed oils were analyzed for total and positional fatty acid composition, triacylglycerol (TAG) level, and tocopherol content. Crude fat levels measured by the Folch method were 21.64% in perilla seed, 13.85% in safflower seed, 9.60% in pepper seed, 8.85% in pomegranate seed, 2.25% in mung bean, and 2.00% in C. tora,respectively (all w/w). Linoleic acid (C18:2) was the most abundant fatty acid at the sn-2 position of triacylglycerols (TAGs), ranging from 15.99-88.3 wt%. The composition of TAGs was analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC, and TAGs of seed oils showed partition numbers of 36-48. The highest content (377.74 mg/100 g) of total tocopherol was found in pomegranate seed whereas the total tocopherol content of mung bean, C. tora, pepper seed, perilla seed, and safflower seed were 141.16, 107.23, 33.88, 30.05, and 29.80 mg/100 g, respectively.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1119-1122
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• 2016

Background: Punica granatum (PG) has been demonstrated to possess antitumor effects on various types of cancer cells. In this study, we determined antiproliferative properties of a seed extract of PG (PSE) from Iran in different human cancer cells. Materials and Methods: A methanolic extract of pomegranate seeds was prepared. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were assessed by colorimetric assays. Antioxidant activity was determined with reference to DPPH radical scavenging activity. The cytotoxicity of different doses of PSE (0, 5, 20, 100, 250, 500, $1000{\mu}g/ml$) was evaluated by MTT assays with A549 (lung non small cell carcinoma), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), SKOV3 (ovarian cancer cells), and PC-3 (prostate adenocarcinoma) cells. Results: Significant (P<0.01) or very significant (P<0.0001) differences were observed in comparison to negative controls at all tested doses ($5-1000{\mu}g/ml$). In all studied cancer cells, PSE reduced the cell viability to values below 23%, even at the lowest doses. In all cases, IC50 was determined at doses below $5{\mu}g/ml$. In this regard, SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells were the most responsive to antiproliferative effects of PSE with a maximum mean growth inhibition of 86.8% vs. 82.8%, 81.4% and 80.0% in MCF-7, PC-3 and A549 cells, respectively. Conclusions: Low doses of PSE exert potent antiproliferative effects on different human cancer cells SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells as most and A549 cells ar least responsive regarding cytotoxic effects. However, the mechanisms of action need to be addressed.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.173-182
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• 2006

Recently, the pomegranate seed oil (PSO) has been reported to have various efforts including anti-cancer effect. In this study, we examined the liver-protecting effect of the PSO on the hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$ using the BALB/c mice. The PSO was made from dried seeds of black pomegranate (Punica grantum) by heating and squeezing. The expreimental animals were divided into 3 groups; control group treated with olive oil only, experimental group 1 treated with $CCl_4$ only, and experimental group 2 treated with PSO and $CCl_4$. 24 hours after injection of $CCl_4$ into the peritoneal cavity, we collected the blood samples to measure the level of serological factors; aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. Simultaneously we observed the histological change of liver under the light and electron microscope. As the result, AST and ALT showed $88.7{\pm}14.9IU/L\;and\;22.0{\pm}3.12IU/L$ in the control group, $1963.7{\pm}1212.9IU/L\;and\;4495.4{\pm}2803.6IU/L$ in the experimental group 1, and $432.2{\pm}260.1IU/L\;and\;692.3{\pm}433.1IU/L$ in the experimental group 2. The experimental group 2 showed significant difference as compared with experimental group 1 (P<0.005). In histological study, the experimental group 2 was recovered than experimental group 1 which had abnormal mitochondria, increase of lysosomes, and severe necrosis at the central vein zones. These results indicated that the PSO had the liver protecting effect. However, The further study on the relationship between ingredients of pomegranate seed and liver protecting effect is in need.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.553-559
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine the content of phenolics and various anthocyanin compounds, and antioxidant and anticancer activities of the extracts from pomergranates, which were produced in two different regions including Goheung, Korea and California, USA. These pomergrantes were divided into juice, pericarp, and seed parts and each part was extracted with 95% methanol. Content of total phenolics [mg chlorogenic acid equivalents/kg DW] was highest in pericarp, followed by juice and seeds from pomergrantes in both regions. The anthocyanins identified in pomegranate fruit were cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside chloride (Cy3,5G), cyanidin-3-O-glucoside chloride (Cy3G), delphini din-3,5-di-O-glucoside chloride (Dp3,5G), delphinidin-3-O-glucoside chloride (Dp3G), pelargonidin-3,5-di-glucoside chloride (Pg3,5G), and pelargonidin-3-glucoside chloride (Pg3G). Among these, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside chloride (Cy3,5G) was the major anthocyanin in California pomegranate fruit juice and Goheung pomegranate fruit pericarp. DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical) free radical scavenging activity was dose-dependently increased, and was higher in pericarp part than juice or seed parts from pomergrantes in both regions. By MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay, pericarp extracts from pomergrantes in both regions showed the highest anticancer activity, which was higher on Calu-6 for human pulmonary carcinoma than SNU-601 for human gastric carcinoma. Correlation between polyphenols and anticancer activity on Calu-6 was determined to be in the range of $r^2=0.8904$ to 0.9706.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.342-347
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• 2013

In recent years, polyphenol-rich herbs, fruits and processed foods, which are made of plant origin, have attracted much attention due to their potential health benefits. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an important source of bioactive compounds and has been used to treat diseases because of its medicinal properties. This research was focused on characterizing Korea's national cultivar and a similar product from California, USA. To evaluate their bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities, their anti-oxidation and cancer inhibition properties, as well as their organic acid and free sugar contents, were investigated. The national cultivar had low total sugar and high organic acid contents, contrary to the imported product. The results showed that the peel of national cultivar had high polyphenol and ellagic acid contents compared to imported product. The free radical scavenging capacity was evaluated via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and its positive correlation with the total polyphenol contents was found. The anti-cancer activity of methanol extracts revealed growth inhibition against the prostate cancer cell. These results signify that while pomegranate, national cultivar, is more sour than the imported product, its health benefits could be excellent. Also, the polyphenol compound content of the non-edible part (such as the peel and the seed) was higher than that of the juice. Thus, it is suggested that the byproduct of the juice extraction could be potentially used in other fields such as medicine or dietary agents.