Anti-inflammatory effects of Punica granatum Linne in vitro and in vivo

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 118; no. 2; pp. 315 - 322
• Main Authors: Lee, Chia-Jung, Chen, Lih-Geeng, Liang, Wen-Li, Wang, Ching-Chiung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2010; [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: animal models; Anti-inflammation; anti-inflammatory activity; Biological and medical sciences; Cyclooxygenase-2; Ellagictannin; enzyme inhibition; food analysis; food composition; Food industries; fractionation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene expression; Granatin B; in vitro studies; in vivo studies; Inducible nitric oxide synthase; inflammation; mice; Nitric oxide; phytochemicals; pomegranates; prostaglandin synthase; Punica granatum; Punica granatum L; swelling (physiological); tannins; Granatin B; Punica granatum L; Nitric oxide; Inducible nitric oxide synthase; Cyclooxygenase-2; Ellagictannin; Anti-inflammation; Antiinflammatory agent; Inflammation; In vitro
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.04.123

Inflammation can cause various physical dysfunctions. Punica granatum Linne (pomegranate), a high phenolic content fruit, is widely used as an antipyretic analgesic in Chinese culture. Pomegranate has shown potential nitric oxide (NO) inhibition in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Moreover, pomegranate (100 mg/kg) significantly decreased carrageenan-induced mice paw edema for 1, 3, 4, and 5 h. Therefore, column chromatography combined with in vitro bioassay-guided fractionation was used to isolate the active anti-inflammatory components from the pomegranate. Punicalagin ( 1), punicalin ( 2), strictinin A ( 3), and granatin B ( 4) were obtained with yields of 0.093%, 0.015%, 0.003%, and 0.013%, respectively. All these hydrolysable tannins inhibited NO production and iNOS expression in RAW 264.7 cells. Among them, 4 showed the strongest iNOS and COX-2 inhibitory effects, and exhibited these effects in the inhibition of paw swelling and the PGE 2 level in carrageenan-induced mice. Taken together, we suggest that 4 could be used as a standard marker for the anti-inflammatory effect of pomegranate.