Abstract

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY & PHARMACOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF PUNICA GRANATUM- A REVIEW

Prof. Dr. Rabiea Bilal*

Abstract

Punica granatum (pomegranate) is native to the region from northern India to Iran. It is also widely cultivated in parts of Southwest America, California, Mexico, Arizona and Africa. Pharmacological effects of pomegranate represent a long history and have been mentioned in the Greek and Egyptian documents. Studies in past have shown that pomegranate has many potential effects including: bacteriocidal, antifungal, antiviral, immune modulation, anti inflammatory, analgesic, anti diabetic, hypolipidemic, laxative, diuretic and antimutagenic. Ellagic acid is one of the main components of pomegranate with phenolic structure and antioxidant activity. This review article contains the recently published findings on various aspects of this plant, mainly focusing on its health benefits.

Keywords: pomegranate, antioxidants, polyphenols, ellagic acid, traditional medicine