Vesna Vučić*, Milkica Grabež, Armen Trchounian and Aleksandra Arsić Pages 1817 - 1827 ( 11 )
Background: Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits are widely consumed and used as preventive and therapeutic agents since ancient times. Pomegranate is a rich source of a variety of phytochemicals, which are responsible for its strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory potential.
Objective: The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of the current knowledge of chemical structure and potential health benefits of pomegranate.
Methods: A comprehensive search of available literature.
Results: The review of the literature confirms that juice and extracts obtained from different parts of this plant, including fruit peel, seeds, and leaves exert health benefits in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antimicrobial and anti-tumour effects of pomegranate fruit are of particular scientific and clinical interest.
Conclusion: Further investigations are required to clarify the mechanism of action of the bioactive ingredients and to reveal full potential of pomegranate as both preventive and therapeutic agent.
Pomegranate, pomegranate juice, pomegranate peel, polyphenols, antioxidant, metabolic disease, cancer, inflammatory disease.
Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, studentskitry 1, Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan 0025, Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, studentskitry 1, Belgrade