Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Dietary benefits of pomegranates in humans and animals

Author(s):

Efterpi V. Christaki, Eleftherios M. Bonos, Panagiota C. Florou-Paneri ^*,

Recieved Date: 2010-11-18, Accepted Date: 2011-01-12

Abstract:

Pomegranate has been used extensively as a folk medicine since ancient times. The edible pomegranate fruit has 5-12 cm diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape and thick leathery skin, usually deep pink or red. The inside of the fruit has white spongy tissue that creates spaces filled with edible sacs, known as arils. Over the last decade significant progress has been made in the determination of pomegranate’s active substances and the evaluation of their biological effects. Pomegranate possesses a marked antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial and antifungal activity and a significant content of vitamin C, tannins and estrogens. Moreover, it was reported that dietary pomegranate exerts antiatherogenic and hepatoprotective effects in humans or laboratory animals. Therefore, the pomegranate fruit could be considered as a functional food because it has valuable components that display functional and medicinal effects, but further research is needed in order to confirm all its positive properties in applied human or animal nutrition.

Keywords:

Pomegranate, Punica granatum, nutrition, antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity, vitamin C, tannins

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2011
Volume: 9
Issue: 1
Category: Food and Health
Pages: 142-144

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