Pomegranate, antioxidant activities, anti-carcinogenic activities, micronutrients and polyphenolic components

Description :   Pomegranate is a delicious as well as nutritious fruit that offers numerous health benefits. It

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Pomegranate is a delicious as well as nutritious fruit that offers numerous health benefits. It contains abundant micronutrients and polyphenolic compounds that help to prevent the susceptibility of developing chronic diseases.

Characteristics

• It is a fruit that contains about 600 seeds and each seed is surrounded by aril (sweet and edible pulp)
• The seeds are basically embedded in a bitter and spongy pulp
• The skin of the pomegranate has a reddish colour
• It is generally sweet in taste but it is fairly tart

Nutritional profile

• It contains desirable amount of carbohydrates and dietary fibre
• It contains fewer amounts of protein as well
• It contains trace amount of saturated as well as unsaturated fat but totally free from cholesterol
• It does not provide enough calories on its oxidation
• It contains numerous micronutrients, which include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron and magnesium
• It is packed with various bioactive compounds such as organic acids, anthocyanins, quercetin, luteolin glycosides and kaempferol

Biological property

Antioxidant property

• It contains various polyphenolic compounds like hydrolysable tannin, anthocyanin and ellagic acid derivatives, which are responsible for exerting antioxidant activities
• Punicalagin is another important bioactive component found in pomegranate juice and its peel, shows strong antioxidant activities
• It helps to decrease the concentration of free radicals within body and reduces the prevalence of oxidative stress
• It helps to protect every cells of the body from oxidative damages thus promotes cellular functionality

Anti-inflammatory property

• Punicalagin components of pomegranate are responsible for showing anti-inflammatory activities that help to protect the body from inflammatory damages hence reduces the risk of developing chronic inflammatory diseases
• It is associated with decreasing the concentration of inflammatory mediators within body that helps to prevent inflammation, swelling and pain

Antimicrobial property

• Extract of pomegranate and its peel shows strong antimicrobial activities that help to inhibit microbial growth as well as reproduction within host
• It has seen that it shows antibacterial effect against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria like Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus
• It helps to inhibit the infestation of yeast (Candida albicans) and also reduces its harmful consequences within body

Anti-carcinogenic property

• Consumption of pomegranate especially its juice is extremely effective for reducing the risk of carcinoma as it helps to decrease the concentration of carcinogens within blood
• Its polyphenolic compounds are responsible for preventing gene mutation and also decreases the prevalence of DNA damages
• It helps to suppress the growth of cancerous cell by decreasing proliferation of malignant cells
• It also helps to inhibit the reproduction of cancerous cells by inducing apoptosis
• It helps to prevent metastasis as well
• It is very effective for reducing the prevalence of prostate cancer and breast cancer
• It has seen that consumption of pomegranate juice significantly reduces the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in blood, which is considered as the blood marker of prostate cancer
• It also helps to prevent tumor cell growth

Health benefits

Role on nervous system

• It plays significant role in enhancing the functionality of central as well as peripheral nervous system as it helps to protect every nerve cells from oxidative damages
• Polyphenol components of pomegranate are responsible for boosting up memory
• Consumption of Pomegranate is closely related with inhibiting the prevalence of Alzheimer’s diseases

Role on endurance

• It is better to consume pomegranate juice after strenuous exercise as it helps to prevent muscle soreness that facilitates muscular recovery
• It is associated with decreasing the prevalence of muscle damage by protecting muscles from oxidative damages
• It also helps to enhance muscular strength that helps in improving muscular performance hence improves endurance

Role on skeletal system

• Its consumption is extremely helpful for decreasing the severity of arthritis
• Individual suffer from osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis should consume pomegranate for reducing pain as well as joint swelling as it exerts potent anti-inflammatory activity that helps to prevent joint tenderness and joint    Read more