Estrogen Activities of Extracts from Various Parts of Pomegranate(Punica grantum L.)

Phytoestrogens are non-steroidal compounds found in a variety of plants, which exert estrogenic effects in animals. In this study, the useful compounds of pomegranate as preliminarily research for the developing of natural estrogen supplement were determined. The estrogenic activity of phytoestrogens in the pomegranate was estimated by using the Yeast Estrogen Receptor and E-screen assay. Estrogenic activity of all pomegranate extracts in the Yest Estrogen Receptor assay were not significant difference at all concentration. Whereas peel extracts of Iranian and domestic red pomegranate are significantly enhanced in the E-screen assay. When various pomegranate extracts enzyme and acid hydrolyzed, three aglycones of phytoestrogen, kaempferol, quercetin and catechin were detected. Peel extract of domestic red pomegranste contained more than kaempferol(87.0 mg%), quercetin(172.8 mg%)) and catechin(956.8 mg%) than other extracts. These differences in concentrations of key phytoestrogens among various extracts seemed to be responsible for their differences in estrogenic activities. Among these three compound, kaempferol showed the highest MCF-7 cell enhancing efface.