Table 2.
Examples of published pharmacological studies on P. granatum L.
| Pharmacological Activity * | Plant Part | Test Method | Details | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia) and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) | Peel extracts | Microdilution antibacterial assay | Methanolic peel extracts showed strong broad-spectrum activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.2 to 0.78 mg/mL. | [8] |
| Antityrosinase properties | Peel extracts | Spectrophotometric method | Active peel extracts against monophenolase and diphenolase had IC50 values of 3.66 and 15.88 µg/mL, respectively. | [8] |
| Anti-inflammatory | Peel extracts | Column chromatography combined with in vitro bioassay-guided fractionation | Pomegranate fractions showed potential nitric oxide (NO) inhibition in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and also significantly reduced carrageenan-induced mice paw oedema for 1, 3, 4 and 5 h. | [60] |
| Antimicrobial (S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli) | Aril and peel extracts | Agar diffusion | All of the fruit fraction extracts exhibited higher antimicrobial activity on S. aureus than P. aeruginosa, while E. coli was resistant. | [9] |
| Antifungal (Penicillium italicum, Rhizopus stolonifera, and Botrytis cinerea) | Leaf, peel, and seed extracts | Agar diffusion | The highest inhibitory spore germination (ISG) value was reported at 30.92 ± 2.64% followed by 30.29 ± 2.58% for Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer, respectively. Penicillium italicum showed the lowest inhibition of spore germination at 17.86 ± 2.09%. | [44] |
| Antioxidant properties | Peel powder | 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) | Antioxidant levels ranged from 1.8 to 6.8 µmol Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) per gram bread for fresh bread. Addition of peel powder up to 2.5% w/w to wheat bread significantly increased its oxidative stability, with no effect on innocuousness as assayed with the brine–shrimp larvae assay. | [61] |
| Anticardiovascular properties | Juice | In vivo experiment, 101 haemodialysis (HD) patients were randomised to receive 100 cc of pomegranate juice containing about 0.7 mM polyphenols three times a week for one year | Consumption of juice yielded significant time response improvements in systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, triglycerides, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) level. These beneficial outcomes were more pronounced among patients with hypertension, high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL. | [43] |
| Antihyperglycaemic, antihyperlipidaemic, and antioxidant properties | Peel extracts | In vivo experiment, 56 Wister albino rats were distributed into 8 groups and compared with standard drugs (glibenclamide and atorvastatin). For antioxidant activity: DPPH (2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) | Peel extracts showed antihyperglycaemic and antihyperlipidaemic activities from a powerful reactive oxygen scavenger through its antioxidant compounds. In addition, the peel extracts enhanced liver and kidney functions when compared to standard drugs in diabetic and hyperlipidaemic rats. | [62] |
* Examples are given and this list may not necessarily be exhaustive.