A Review on the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Pomegranate in the Gastrointestinal Tract

Abstract

Several biological activities of pomegranate have been widely described in the literature, but the anti-inflammatory effect in the gastrointestinal tract has not been reviewed till now. The aim of the present paper is to summarize the evidence for or against the efficacy of pomegranate for coping with inflammatory conditions of the gastro-intestinal tract. The paper has been organized in three parts: (1) the first one is devoted to the modifications of pomegranate active compounds in the gastro-intestinal tract; (2) the second one considering the literature regarding the anti-inflammatory effect of pomegranate at gastric level; (3) the third part considers the anti-inflammatory effect of pomegranate in the gut. In vivo studies performed on the whole fruit or juice, peel, and flowers demonstrate antiulcer effect in a variety of animal models. Ellagic acid was the main responsible for this effect, although other individual ellagitannins could contribute to the biological activity of the mixture. Different preparations of pomegranate, including extracts from peels, flowers, seeds, and juice, show a significant anti-inflammatory activity in the gut. No clinical studies have been found, thus suggesting that future clinical studies are necessary to clarify the beneficial effects of pomegranate in the gastrointestinal tract.

Anti-Ulcerative Potential of <i>Punica granatum</i> L (Lythraceae) Hydroalcohol Fruit Peel Extract

“…Four hours later, the stomachs were removed and inflated with 10 ml of formalin solution and immersed in the same solution to fix the outer layer of stomach. Each stomach was then opened along the greater curvature, rinsed with tap water to remove gastric content and blood clots and examined under the dissecting microscope to assess the formation of ulcers [8]. The ulcer index [3] and inhibition percentage was calculated according to previous reported [8].…”

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Capacity of Greek Commercial Pomegranate -Based Juices

“…Epidemiological studies show that consumption of pomegranate correlates with reduced cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory activity and reduced cancer mortality [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Other studies suggest that some compounds of the pomegranate juice are characterized by antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiviral activities [20][21][22][23][24][25].…”

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Taif Punica Granatum in Cytokines Production in PBMCS of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis (Ra).

“…Several studies have reported significant anti-inflammatory activity of P. granatum and some conclusions could be drawn from all the studies Firstly, the pure compounds occurring in P. granatum extract appear to act through different pathways. methanol and aqueous extracts from P. granatum peel could inhibit the expression and secretion of several inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, iNOS, COX-2, and PGE 2 [28]. Additionally to these conclusions, there are some other studies that indicate P. granatum peel extracts might affect immune responses, for example a study of P. granatum contents exhibited inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and NO production in in RAW 264.7 cells [29].…”