Potential of phenolic compounds from pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) by-product with significant antioxidant and therapeutic effects: A narrative review

YOLO-Granada: a lightweight attentioned Yolo for pomegranates fruit detection

Pomegranate is an important fruit crop that is usually managed manually through experience. Intelligent management systems for pomegranate orchards can improve yields and address labor shortages. Fast and accurate detection of pomegranates is one of the key technologies of this management system, crucial for yield and scientific management. Currently, most solutions use deep learning to achieve pomegranate detection, but deep learning is not effective in detecting small targets and large parameters, and the computation speed is slow; therefore, there is room for improving the pomegranate detection task. Based on the improved You Only Look Once version 5 (YOLOv5) algorithm, a lightweight pomegranate growth period detection algorithm YOLO-Granada is proposed. A lightweight ShuffleNetv2 network is used as the backbone to extract pomegranate features. Using grouped convolution reduces the computational effort of ordinary convolution, and using channel shuffle increases the interaction between different channels. In addition, the attention mechanism can help the neural network suppress less significant features in the channels or space, and the Convolutional Block Attention Module attention mechanism can improve the effect of attention and optimize the object detection accuracy by using the contribution factor of weights. The average accuracy of the improved network reaches 0.922. It is only less than 1% lower than the original YOLOv5s model (0.929) but brings a speed increase and a compression of the model size. and the detection speed is 17.3% faster than the original network. The parameters, floating-point operations, and model size of this network are compressed to 54.7%, 51.3%, and 56.3% of the original network, respectively. In addition, the algorithm detects 8.66 images per second, achieving real-time results. In this study, the Nihui convolutional neural network framework was further utilized to develop an Android-based application for real-time pomegranate detection. The method provides a more accurate and lightweight solution for intelligent management devices in pomegranate orchards, which can provide a reference for the design of neural networks in agricultural applications.

Effect of pomegranate peel powder-infused multigrain chapatti on diabetes prevention: A randomized clinical trial

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic and chronic disease linked to lifestyle factors like dietary patterns and physical inactivity. This randomized clinical study aimed to develop a novel dietary intervention using pomegranate peel powder-based multigrain chapatti to prevent diabetes. The product was formulated by incorporating pomegranate peel powder into a mixture of wheat flour, pearl flour, millet flour, and chickpea flour. The study included the formulation of various treatments (Tc, T1, T2, and T3) following product development, and these treatments were subjected to comprehensive assessments. The nutritional composition and antioxidant potential of the pomegranate peel powder-based multigrain chapatti were analyzed. Sensory attributes, including taste, texture, and overall acceptability, were evaluated. Additionally, biochemical analyses, including blood glucose levels and HbA1C, were conducted to assess the impact of the interventions on blood glucose metabolism. The results revealed that the nutritional profile and phytochemical potential of the product improved significantly in treatment T3, which contained 15% pomegranate juice. Overall acceptability was found to be high for T3, indicating that the inclusion of pomegranate peel powder was well received in terms of taste and sensory qualities. Importantly, the clinical trial demonstrated positive outcomes in the intervention group receiving the pomegranate peel powder-based multigrain chapatti. Blood glucose analysis and HbA1C assessments indicated that the consumption of this innovative dietary product contributed to improved blood glucose metabolism, suggesting its potential as a preventive strategy for diabetes.

Sustainable Collagen Film Preparation with Tannins Extracted from Moroccan Pomegranate Byproduct Varieties: Thermal, Structural, and Nanoscaled Studies

Recently, obtaining collagen films using a cross-linking technique has been a successful strategy. The current investigation used six cross-linker extracts (CE) from six different pomegranate varieties' byproducts to make and characterize collagen-tannin films using acid-soluble collagen (SC). The polymeric film has a yellow hue after CE incorporation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy assessed the impact of CE and its successful interaction within the matrix. The shifts verify different interactions between extracts and collagen functional groups, where they likely form new hydrogen bonds, retaining their helix structure without damaging the matrix. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the morphology and fiber size. The average diameter of the fibers was found to be about 3.64 μm. Thermal behaviors (denaturation and degradation) were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The weight losses of cross-linked films increased by around 20% compared to non-cross-linked ones. This phenomenon was explained by the absence of telopeptide sections in the collagen helical structure, typically reinforced by lysine and hydroxylysine covalent linkages. Nanoscaled observations were also accomplished using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on SC and SC-CE. The TEM analysis confirmed the CE polymerization degree effect on the cross-linking density via the overlap sequences, ranging up to 32.38 ± 2.37 nm on the fibril. The prepared biodegradable collagen-tannin film showed higher cross-linking density, which is expected to improve the biomaterial applications of collagen films while exploiting the underrated pomegranate byproducts.

Suppression of inflammation in ulcerative colitis rats by avocado and pomegranate

BACKGROUND

Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) and avocado seed oil (ASO) are natural polyphenols with established anti-inflammatory activity.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic efficacy of PSO and ASO in experimental ulcerative colitis (UC) with reference to sulfasalazine (SLZ).

METHODS

Eighty male albino rats were divided equally into 8 groups; Normal, PSO, ASO, SLZ, UC-control, (UC + PSO), (UC + ASO) and (UC + SLZ) groups. Colitis was induced by intra-rectal injection of acetic acid. PSO (0.5ml/200g), ASO (1ml/250g) and SLZ (100 mg/kg) were administered orally once/day for 14 days, 24h after colitis induction. Colitis was evaluated by measuring disease activity index (DAI), colon weight/length ratio and histologic inflammatory score. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), colonic macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined. Colonic gene expression of TNF-α, VEGF and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were also estimated.

RESULTS

PSO and ASO treatments to UC rats significantly reduced DAI, weight/length ratio, VEGFR-2, and colon histologic inflammatory score versus UC-controls. ASO significantly suppressed MIF levels and TNF-α expression greater than PSO. However, PSO was more significant than ASO in reducing MDA levels and up-regulating HO-1 expression. Both oils significantly down-regulated VEGF expression. The obtained biochemical and histological changes induced by UC were nearly corrected by SLZ.

CONCLUSION

The proved beneficial effect of PSO and ASO as anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and antioxidant in UC rats could be mediated by suppression of TNF-α, VEGF, and MIF and up-regulation of HO-1.

Pomegranate peel: Bioactivities as antimicrobial and cytotoxic agents

This is a comparative study to evaluate the effectiveness of six pomegranate peel extracts (PPEs) as antibacterial and antiproliferative agents. The Six PPEs were prepared using four solvent systems and each filtrate was concentrated to a gummy material to be used in the evaluation. The well-diffusion method was used to evaluate their antimicrobial activity against bacteria typically associated with food spoilage: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and three Bacillus species. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTT) was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity against colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT116), prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3), ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3), and fibroblasts (MRC-5). The antioxidant evaluation was done using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay. The pH of the water-containing extracts was acidic and almost the same over 6 weeks. The six PPEs inhibited the bacterial growth in a comparable level to standard antibiotics. The effectiveness of each extract was dependent on the bacterial strain, and the Listeria showed a remarkable inhibition when exposed to the aqueous extract prepared at room temperature (RT). The aqueous (RT) and methanol PPEs had a significant antioxidant scavenging capability and a remarkable cytotoxic activity against the PC3 with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.1 μg/mL. The boiled aqueous extract exhibited antiproliferative activity against HCT116 with an IC50 of 21.45 μg/mL. The effect on SKOV-3 and fibroblasts was insignificant. With the exception of butanol, the antioxidant screening shows an inverse correlation between the polarity of the extraction solvent and the IC50 exhibited by the PPEs. The variation in the effectiveness of PPEs is suggested to be due to variable soluble bioactive compounds that may interact differently with different cells, though water-containing extracts are promising antibacterial agents. The findings clearly show that pomegranate peel possessed the potential to be an eco-friendly novel source for natural compounds that can be implemented in the food industry as a natural antimicrobial and natural food additive to prevent foodborne illnesses.

Punicalagin from pomegranate ameliorates TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced inflammatory responses in HaCaT cells via regulation of SIRT1/STAT3 axis and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

Punicalagin (PUN) was isolated from the peel of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), is a polyphenol with anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant activities. However, it remains unclear whether PUN alleviates the inflammation and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in pro-inflammatory cytokines-induced human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. Here, we investigated that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) mixture-stimulated HaCaT cells were treated with various concentrations of PUN, followed by analyzed the expression of inflammation-related mediators and evaluate anti-inflammatory-related pathways. Our results demonstrated that PUN ≤ 100 μM did not reduce HaCaT cell viability, and PUN ≥ 3 μM was sufficient to decrease interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5), CCL17 and CCL20 concentrations. We found that PUN ≥ 10 μM and ≥ 3 μM significantly increased sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression and inhibited signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation, respectively. PUN downregulated inflammation-related proteins cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), enhanced nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Moreover, PUN decreased intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and inhibited monocyte adhesion to inflamed HaCaT cells. PUN also suppressed inflammatory-related pathways, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways in TNF-α/IFN-γ- stimulated HaCat cells. Collectively, there is significant evidence that PUN has effective protective defenses against TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced skin inflammation by enhancing SIRT1 to mediate STAT3 and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Inhibition of NS2B-NS3 protease from all four serotypes of dengue virus by punicalagin, punicalin and ellagic acid identified from Punica granatum

Despite a major threat to the public health in tropical and subtropical regions, dengue virus (DENV) infections are untreatable. Therefore, efforts are needed to investigate cost-effective therapeutic agents that could cure DENV infections in future. The NS2B-NS3 protease encoded by the genome of DENV is considered a critical target for the development of anti-dengue drugs. The objective of the current study was to find out a specific inhibitor of the NS2B-NS3 proteases from all four serotypes of DENV. To begin with, nine plant extracts with a medicinal history were evaluated for their role in inhibiting the NS2B-NS3 proteases by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) assay. Among the tested extracts, Punica granatum was found to be the most effective one. The metabolic profiling of this extract revealed the presence of several active compounds, including ellagic acid, punicalin and punicalagin, which are well-established antiviral agents. Further evaluation of IC50 values of these three antiviral molecules revealed punicalagin as the most potent anti-NS2B-NS3 protease drug with IC50 of 0.91 ± 0.10, 0.75 ± 0.05, 0.42 ± 0.03, 1.80 ± 0.16 µM against proteases from serotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The docking studies demonstrated that these compounds interacted at the active site of the enzyme, mainly with His and Ser residues. Molecular dynamics simulations analysis also showed the structural stability of the NS2B-NS3 proteases in the presence of punicalagin. In summary, this study concludes that the punicalagin can act as an effective inhibitor against NS2B-NS3 proteases from all four serotypes of DENV.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Ameliorating the adverse effects of salinity on wheat plants using the bio-wastes (pomegranate peel extract and /or compost)

Climate changes and the related rise in the frequency of excessive weather proceedings have a strong influence on the physical, chemical, and hydrological processes in soils. Recently the investigators confirmed that the use of biological treatments and resources to overcome abiotic stress is fruitful. Thus, pomegranate peel extract (PPE) because of its high efficacy and/or compost application could improve soil characteristics, soil organic matter and nutrient status. This effect may be referred back to the enhancement in the plant antioxidative defense system against stress conditions. This experiment was done to study the influence of spraying wheat plants with pomegranate peel extract (PPE) with and/or without soil compost added under salt stress on some growth parameters and physiological aspects. Wheat plants were grown in the presence or absence of compost in the soil and foliar sprayed with PPE (600 and 1200 mg L-1) under salt irrigation (3000 and 6000 mg L-1). Growth and yield traits were decreased with salinity stress. High levels of PPE (1200 mg L-1) induced the highest values of osmoprotectants (Total soluble sugars, total soluble protein, proline and free amino acids) in both unstressed or salinity-stressed plants presence or absence compost. Using compost in soil for cultivating wheat plants and PPE spraying treatments increased growth traits photosynthetic pigments and yield components. Moreover, these treatments increased the accumulation of minerals content (N, P, K and Ca) in plants. In general, the results of correlation coefficients showed a significant strong positive relationship among measured yield traits and other tested parameters. The correlation between 1000-grain Wt. and grain Wt./spike (r = 0.94**) was the highest. Meanwhile, a strong negative correlation coefficient between Na% and all yield parameters was recorded. Compost adding to soil and spraying pomegranate peel extract is a successful method for increasing wheat growth, yield and improving the nutritional value of the produced grains under salt stress.

Review of Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used to Treat Diarrhea by the People in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Background

Diarrheal illness is the second-most common cause of death in under-five children. Worldwide, it results in about 1.7 billion illnesses and 525,000 deaths among under-five children annually. It is the leading cause of malnutrition among under-five children. Different people use medicinal plants to treat diarrhea. The present study aimed to review the medicinal plants used to treat diarrhea by the people in the Amhara region and to diagnose whether the antidiarrheal activities of the medicinal plants have been confirmed by studies using animal models.

Methods

The author searched 21 articles from worldwide databases up to December 2022 using Boolean operators ("AND" and "OR") and the terms "ethnobotanical studies," "ethnobiology," "traditional medicine," "ethnobotanical knowledge," and "Amhara region."

Results

From the 21 studies reviewed, 50 plant species grouped into 28 families were reported to treat diarrhea by the people in the Amhara region. The top most used families were Lamiaceae (12%), Fabaceae (8%), Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Poaceae (6% each). The modes of administration of the plant parts were orally 98.88% and topically 1.12%. The different extracts of 18 (or 36%) of the medicinal plants traditionally used to treat diarrhea by the people in the Amhara region have been proven experimentally in animal models.

Conclusions

The people in the Amhara region use different medicinal plants to treat diarrhea. Most of them take the medicinal plants orally. The traditional claim that 60% of medicinal plants are antidiarrheal has been confirmed in in vitro studies.

Polyphenol-Enriched Pectin from Pomegranate Peel: Multi-Objective Optimization of the Eco-Friendly Extraction Process

A multi-objective optimization was performed using response surface methodology to obtain a high-value-added product, pectin enriched in polyphenols, from pomegranate peel. For this purpose, a green extraction technique that combines citric acid and ultrasound was carried out considering three variables: time, pH, and temperature. The extraction procedure was optimized using the Box-Behnken design, these being the most suitable conditions, with an extraction time of 34.16 min, a pH of 2.2, and a temperature of 89.87 °C. At this point, the pectin yield was 31.89%, with a total retained polyphenol content of 15.84 mg GAE/g pectin. In addition, the water activity, ash content, equivalent weight, methoxyl content, and degree of esterification were determined for the pectin obtained at the optimal point. This study demonstrates that polyphenol-enriched pectin can be obtained from pomegranate peel via an eco-friendly and efficient method, and that it presents similar properties to commercial pectin, preserving its quality and with potential use as an ingredient or food supplement with a high nutritional value. This work contributes to developing sustainable strategies to valorize pomegranate agro-industrial waste and produce high-value functional ingredients.

Fisetin-In Search of Better Bioavailability-From Macro to Nano Modifications: A Review

As secondary plant metabolites, polyphenols are abundant in fruits and vegetables. They are in high demand because of their many health benefits. However, their low bioavailability makes them complex compounds to use for therapeutic purposes. Due to the limited solubility of phytocompounds, dietary supplements made from them may only be partially effective. Such molecules include fisetin, found in strawberries, and have shown great promise in treating Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Unfortunately, because of their limited water solubility, low absorption, and poor bioavailability, the assistance of nanotechnology is required to allow them to fulfil their potential fully. Here, we provide evidence that nanodelivery methods and structure modifications can improve fisetin bioavailability, which is linked to improvements in therapeutic efficacy. An open question remains as to which nanocarrier should be chosen to meet the abovementioned requirements and be able to enhance fisetin's therapeutic potential to treat a particular disease.

The Impact of Punica granatum Linn and Its Derivatives on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Endothelial Function in Diabetes Mellitus: Evidence from Preclinical and Clinical Studies

Diabetes mellitus is recognized as the leading contributor to cardiovascular disease and associated mortality rates worldwide. Despite the use of pharmaceutical drugs to treat diabetes, its prevalence continues to rise alarmingly. Therefore, exploring remedies with a lower toxicity profile is crucial while remaining safe and effective in addressing this global public health crisis. Punica granatum Linn (pomegranate), known for its properties and safety profile, has been investigated in applied research and preclinical and clinical trials. However, conflicting reports still exist regarding its effects in diabetes. According to our knowledge, no systematic review has been conducted to critically analyze evidence from preclinical and clinical trials simultaneously, explicitly focusing on oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial function in diabetes. Therefore, in this systematic review, we searched for evidence on the impact of pomegranate in diabetes using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Our inclusion criteria were limited to studies published in English. Of the 170 retrieved studies, 46 were deemed relevant and underwent critical analysis. The analyzed evidence suggests that pomegranate has the potential to alleviate oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. Although a beneficial impact was noted in these markers, the endothelial function evidence still requires validation through further clinical trials with a powered sample size.

Benchmark Dose Approach to DNA and Liver Damage by Chlorpyrifos and Imidacloprid in Male Rats: The Protective Effect of a Clove-Oil-Based Nanoemulsion Loaded with Pomegranate Peel Extract

Pesticides are widely used around the world to increase crop production. They also have negative impacts on animals, humans, and the ecosystem. This is the first report evaluating a novel pomegranate-extract-loaded clove-oil-based nanoemulsion (PELCN) and its potential for reducing oxidative stress and DNA damage, as well as its hepatoprotective effects against imidacloprid (IM) and chlorpyrifos (CPF) toxicity in male rats. The benchmark dose (BMD) approach was also used to study the dose-response toxicity of IM and CPF. IM and CPF were administered daily for 28 days at doses of 14, 28, and 54 mg/kg body weight (bw) of IM and 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg bw of CPF via drinking water. The PELCN was administered orally at a dose of 50 mg/kg bw/day of pomegranate extract, 500 mg/kg bw of the clove oil nanoemulsion, and IM or CPF at high doses in the drinking water. In male rats, IM and CPF caused a reduction in body weight gain and hepatotoxic effects as evidenced by increases in the liver enzymes AST, ALT, and ALP. They caused oxidative damage in the liver of male rats as indicated by the decreased liver activity of the GST, GPX, SOD, and CAT enzymes and decreased serum TAC. IM and CPF produced a significant dose-dependent increase in DNA damage in hepatocyte cells, resulting in moderate to severe liver damage with cells that are more inflammatory and have enlarged sinusoids and compacted nuclei. IM had a higher BMD than CPF for both body and liver weight, suggesting that CPF was more dose-dependently toxic than IM. Albumin was a highly sensitive liver biomarker for IM, while total protein was a biomarker for the CPF-treated rats. GPx was an extremely sensitive biomarker of oxidative stress in the IM treatment, while CAT and GPx were highly sensitive parameters in the CPF-treated rats. Therefore, at comparable doses, CPF has a higher potential to cause liver damage and oxidative stress than IM. The hepatotoxicity of IM and CPF can be mitigated by administering a nanoemulsion containing clove oil and pomegranate extract. The nanoemulsion acts as a protector against the oxidative stress caused by these insecticides, especially at high doses. The nanoemulsion based on clove oil increases the bioavailability and stability of the pomegranate extract, which has antioxidant properties.