Pomegranate Polyphenols Lower Lipid Peroxidation in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes but Have No Effects in Healthy Volunteers: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Aims. To examine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of pomegranate polyphenols in obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (n = 8) and in healthy nondiabetic controls (n = 9). Methods. Participants received 2 capsules of pomegranate polyphenols (POMx, 1 capsule = 753 mg polyphenols) daily for 4 weeks. Blood draws and anthropometrics were performed at baseline and at 4 weeks of the study. Results. Pomegranate polyphenols in healthy controls and in T2DM patients did not significantly affect body weight and blood pressure, glucose and lipids. Among clinical safety profiles, serum electrolytes, renal function tests, and hematological profiles were not significantly affected by POMx supplementation. However, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) showed a significant increase in healthy controls, while alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was significantly decreased in T2DM patients at 4 weeks (P < 0.05), though values remained within the normal ranges. Among the biomarkers of lipid oxidation and inflammation, oxidized LDL and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) did not differ at 4 weeks in either group, while pomegranate polyphenols significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydroxynonenal (HNE) only in the diabetic group versus baseline (P < 0.05). Conclusions. POMx reduces lipid peroxidation in patients with T2DM, but with no effects in healthy controls, and specifically modulates liver enzymes in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. Larger clinical trials are merited.

Consumption of pomegranate juice decreases blood lipid peroxidation and levels of arachidonic acid in women with metabolic syndrome

“…Furthermore, in the present study, we found no significant changes in levels of blood glucose and lipids in MS subjects at the end of consumption period. This was in accordance with previous studies investigating effects of PJ in diabetic patients, 53,54 and in paediatric MS subjects. 57 However, some authors reported a decrease in triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol levels, 17 and an increase in HDL cholesterol 18 as a result of PJ consumption.…”

“…We observed some decrease in systolic blood pressure, but it was not statistically significant. Similarly to our results, Basu et al 53 showed no effect of pomegranate on blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, only one study so far examined the effects of pomegranate juice on blood pressure in subjects with MS and it was carried out in adolescents aged 12-15 years.…”

Biological activities of salvianolic acid B fromSalvia miltiorrhizaon type 2 diabetes induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin

“…The hypoglycemic mechanisms of many polyphenolic compounds in medical plants such as green tea catechins, pomegranate polyphenols, and coffee polyphenols are closely related to their antioxidant activities (Basu et al, 2013;Crespy & Williamson, 2004;Mubarak et al, 2013). Some previous studies have shown that SalB has a strong antioxidant property and can scavenge reactive oxygen species and improve the activity of antioxidant enzymes both in vitro and in vivo (Chen et al, 2000;Gao et al, 2012;Liu et al, 2007).…”

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Pomegranate Juice Intake and Cardiovascular Health

“…Pomegranate seed oil consumption seems to be associated with an improvement in insulin sensitivity, posing an additional protective effect in the development of type 2 diabetes [8]. However, in the same study the CVD -related risk did not change, while other studies did not show a decrease in the type 2 diabetes risk or a reduction in the lipid peroxidation among healthy controls, too [5,9]. It should also be mentioned, that pomegranate seed oil does not have polyhpenols.…”