• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.1533-1543
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• 2016

The anti-stress effects of Punica granatum L. (family Lythraceae, PG) on $H_2O_2$/corticosterone (CORT)-induced stress in cells and sleep-deprived rats were investigated. The PG extract showed neuroprotective effects in SH-SY5Y cells against $H_2O_2$/CORT-induced stress. Sleep deprivation led to behavioral, hormonal, and biochemical alterations in the animal model. The effects of P. granatum on physiological, behavioral, and biochemical parameters aggravated by sleep deprivation were investigated. Sleep deprivation impaired physiological (survival, body weight, and drowsiness scores) and behavioral (rotarod, passive avoidance, hot hyperalgesia, and Y maze) parameters as well as biochemical factors (cortisol, serotonin, dopamine, testosterone, and growth factor I contents in serum). These parameters were significantly recovered by PG extract in a concentration-dependent manner. The PG extract also enhanced catalase, superoxide dismutase, and non-enzymatic antioxidative activities such as glutathione compared to sleep-deprived rats. On the basis of these results, our findings suggest that Punica granatum prevents impairment of body functions induced by sleep deprivation and related oxidative damage.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.702-706
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• 2008

Punica granatum (PG) evidences a variety of physiological properties, including anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, antiinflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-oxidative activities. Using the human basophilic KU812F cells, the inhibitory effects of the methanolic extract of PG seed, shell, and juice on calcium ionophore, A23187-induced degranulation were assessed. All of the PG extracts inhibited A23187-induced intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ levels, ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase, and histamine release in a dose-dependent manner. These results showed that all of the PG extracts are potent inhibitors of degranulation in allergic reactions, via the suppression of $Ca^{2+}$ influx.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.352-360
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• 2009

The potential of three plants extracts, to protect potato plants against bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum was determined under greenhouse and field conditions. All soil drenching treatments of aqueous plant extracts of Hibsicus sabdariffa, Punica granatum and Eucalyptus globulus significantly reduced the disease severity compared with inoculated control. Although the applications of all three plant extracts resulted in similar reductions of disease severity in field up 63.23 to 68.39%, treatment of E. globulus leaf extract was found greater in restricting the symptom development than other the two plant extracts in the greenhouse. More than 94% reduction in the bacterial wilt symptom was observed in potato plants. All tested plant extracts were effective in inhibiting the growth of bacterial pathogen, not only in vitro, but also in stem of potato plants as compared with the inoculated control Potato plants treated with extract of H. sabdariffa reduced bacterial growth more effectively than treatment with P. granatum and E. globulus. Activity of defence-related enzymes, including peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase, were significantly increased in plants treated with the plant extracts compared to the control during the experimental period. In general, the higher enzymes activities were determined in both inoculated and non-inoculated treated potato plants after 8 days from plant extracts treatment. These results suggested that these plant extracts may be play an important role in controlling the potato bacterial wilt disease, through they have antimicrobial activity and induction of systemic resistance in potato plants.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.21-28
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• 2011

In this study, we analyzed flower tea activity against oral bacteria. Lagerstroemia indica, Paeonia suffruticosa and Hemerocallis fulva showed high extract yields. Bellis perennis, Punica granatum and Cercis chinensis showed the high rates of yield by ethanol extraction. Extract yield seemed to be related to the characteristics of the specimens rather than to the solvent. Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus obrinus, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia were used to investigate extracts activity against bacteria; the former two cause dental caries and the latter two cause halitosis. Cornus officinalis, L. indica, P. granatum and P.s uffruticosa showed high antibacterial activities against S. mutans. In specimens extracted with ethanol, P. suffruticosa, Camellia sinensis, Camellia japonica L. and Rosa hybrida showed high antibacterial activities. L. indica, P. granatum and C. officinalis showed high antibacterial activities against S. sobrinus. C. officinalis, P. granatum, L. indica and P. suffruticosa showed high activities for specimens extracted with ethanol. The results show that the warm extracts of C. officinalis, L. indica and P. granatum may be effective to prevent dental caries. In particular, the ethanol-based extracts of C. officinalis, P. suffruticosa and C. sinensis were effective to prevent dental caries and thus may be highly marketable. Chrysanthemum zawadskii, R. hybrida, P. granatum, C. japonica L. and Zinnia elegans showed high antibacterial activity against P.gingivalis. R. hybrida showed the highest ethanol extract activity, followed by P. suffruticosa, P. granatum, C. japonica L. and L. indica. R. hybrida, P. granatum, C. morifolium and C. japonica showed high activity against Pr.intermedia in the order named. C. zawadskii, P. granatum, L. indica, C. japonica and A. princeps showed high ethanol extract activity. Thus, the warm extracts of R. hybrida, P. granatum and C. japonica may be helpful to reduce halitosis. In addition, the ethanol-based extracts of P. granatum, C. japonica and L. indica are expected to be highly marketable as mouthwashes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1119-1122
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• 2016

Background: Punica granatum (PG) has been demonstrated to possess antitumor effects on various types of cancer cells. In this study, we determined antiproliferative properties of a seed extract of PG (PSE) from Iran in different human cancer cells. Materials and Methods: A methanolic extract of pomegranate seeds was prepared. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were assessed by colorimetric assays. Antioxidant activity was determined with reference to DPPH radical scavenging activity. The cytotoxicity of different doses of PSE (0, 5, 20, 100, 250, 500, $1000{\mu}g/ml$) was evaluated by MTT assays with A549 (lung non small cell carcinoma), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), SKOV3 (ovarian cancer cells), and PC-3 (prostate adenocarcinoma) cells. Results: Significant (P<0.01) or very significant (P<0.0001) differences were observed in comparison to negative controls at all tested doses ($5-1000{\mu}g/ml$). In all studied cancer cells, PSE reduced the cell viability to values below 23%, even at the lowest doses. In all cases, IC50 was determined at doses below $5{\mu}g/ml$. In this regard, SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells were the most responsive to antiproliferative effects of PSE with a maximum mean growth inhibition of 86.8% vs. 82.8%, 81.4% and 80.0% in MCF-7, PC-3 and A549 cells, respectively. Conclusions: Low doses of PSE exert potent antiproliferative effects on different human cancer cells SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells as most and A549 cells ar least responsive regarding cytotoxic effects. However, the mechanisms of action need to be addressed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5697-5701
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• 2015

Background: Medicinal plants, especially examples rich in polyphenolic compounds, have been suggested to be chemopreventive on account of antioxidative properties. Punica granatum (PG) (pomegranate) is a well known fruit in this context, but its cytotoxicity in cancer cells has not been extensively studied. Here, we investigated the antiproliferative properties of a peel extract of PG from Iran in different human cancer cells. Materials and Methods: A methanolic extract of pomegranate peel (PPE) was prepared. Total phenolic content(TPC) and total flavonoid conetnt (TFC) were determined by colorimetric assays. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH radical scavenging activity. The cytotoxicity of different doses of PPE (0, 5, 20, 100, 250, 500, $1000{\mu}g/ml$) was evaluated by MTT assays with A549 (lung non small cell cancer), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), SKOV3 (ovarian cancer), and PC-3 (prostate adenocarcinoma) cells. Results: Significant (P<0.01) or very significant (P<0.0001) differences were observed in comparison with negative controls at all tested doses (5-$1000{\mu}g/ml$). In all studied cancer cells, PPE reduced the cell viability to values below 40%, even at the lowest doses. In all cases, IC50 was determined at doses below $5{\mu}g/ml$. In this regard, MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells were the most responsive cells to antiprolifreative effects of PPE with a maximum mean growth inhibition of 81.0% vs. 69.4%, 79.3% and 77.5% in SKOV3, PC-3 and A549 cells, respectively. Conclusions: Low doses of PPE exert potent anti-proliferative effects in different human cancer cells and it seems that MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells are the most cells and SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells the least responsive in this regard. However, the mechanisms of action need to be addressed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2015

Quorum sensing (QS) is involved in the process of cell-to-cell communication and as a gene regulatory mechanism, which has been implicated in bacterial pathogenicity. Bacteria use this QS system to control a variety of physiological processes. In this study, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract (PPE) was first screened for its ability to inhibit QS in bio-reporter strains (Chromobacterium violaceum and C. violaceum CV026). Next, the ability of PPE to inhibit swimming motility and biofilm formation was examined in Y. enterocolitica. Additionally, changes in the expression of specific genes involved in the synthesis of the N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs; yenI and yenR) and in the flagellar regulon (fliA, fleB and flhDC) were evaluated by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. The results show that PPE specifically inhibited and reduced QS-controlled violacein production by 78.5% in C. violaceum CV026, and decreased QS-associated biofilm formation and swimming motility in Y. enterocolitica without significantly affecting bacterial growth. These inhibitory effects were also associated with the down-regulation of gene expression involved in the synthesis of AHLs and in motility. Our results suggest that PPE could be a potential therapeutic agent to prevent enteropathogens in humans, as well as highlight the need to further investigate the in vivo properties of PPE for clinical applications.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.331-338
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• 1996

This study was conducted to screen the antagonistic plants on northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne) and to utilize those in its control. Egg hatching of M. hapla was found to be inhibited by 17 plant methanol extracts, and 11 plant extracts among them were also toxic to M. hapla second stage juvenile. Egg hatching of iW. hapla was also found to be inhibited by squeezed extracts of Cassia tora and Zea mays, and they were also toxic to M. hapla second stage juvenile. Extracts of Achyranthes japonica, Melia axedrach and Acorus graminens were toxic to M. hapla second stage with a juvenile mortality above 70clc at the 10 folds diluted concent ration and A. graminens was toxic to tested juvenile mortality above 50% at the 100 folds diluted concentration. The toxicity was directly propotional to the diluted concentration of the plant extracts and to the exposure period. Punica granatum, Acorns graminens and Melia axedrach were effective in inhibiting root penetration of JW. hapla juveniles, among of them p. granatum is most effective Percent inhibition of penetration by second and third stage juveniles into tomato slants penetrating by it was 72.7 and 82.4%, respectively.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2010

A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled human intervention study involving 58 menopause women was performed to investigate the effect of pomegranate extracts on menopausal symptoms. The volunteers were randomly distributed into two groups, one taking pomegranate extracts (1.5 g/day) and the other being a placebo by taking oral administration for 8 weeks. The results from this study showed that duration of hot flush and sweating were significantly decreased by taking pomegranate extracts. In addition, menopausal rating scales and the Kuppermann index were significantly decreased in pomegranate extract taking group. This result suggests a possibility that pomegranate extracts can be helpful for menopause women.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.34-37
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• 2003

We examined methanol extracts prepared from the Korean plants for their inhibitory effects on rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR) activity in vitro. Among 41 plant extracts, the extracts of Lagerstroemia indica, Punica granatum, Eurya japonica, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Vitis coignetiae exhibited highest inhibitory potency, even more potent than tetramethylene glutaric acid (TMG), known as one of typical aldose reductase inhibitors $(IC_{50}\;value,\;0.51\;{\mu}g/ml)$. Especially, the extract of Lagerstroemia indica (Lythraceae), exhibited the most inhibitory potency $(IC_{50}\;value,\;0.069\;{\mu}/ml)$ on RLAR.