Multiple Activities of Punica granatum Linne against Acne Vulgaris.

Acne is a common skin condition with sebum overproduction, hyperkeratosis, (. ) and , and inflammation. (pomegranate) is well-known for its anti-inflammatory effects; however, few studies have discussed the anti-acne effects of pomegranate. In this study, we found that pomegranate extract (PG-E) significantly reduced . -induced edema in Wistar rat ears. Therefore, an evaluation platform using multiple pathogenic mechanisms of acne was established to explore the anti-acne effects of pomegranate. Results showed that PG-E inhibited bacterial growth and lipase activity. Through a bioguided-fractionation-isolation system, four hydrolysable tannins, punicalagin (), punicalin (), strictinin A (), and granatin B (), were isolated. Compounds and had greater anti-bacterial activities and anti-testosterone-induced HaCaT proliferative effects than the others. Compounds , , and displayed lipase inhibitory effects. Compound decreased cyclooxygenase-2 expression and downregulated prostaglandin E₂ production in heat-killed . -treated RAW 246.7 cells. In conclusion, PG-E is abundant in hydrolysable tannins that display multiple anti-acne capacities, including anti-bacterial, anti-lipase, anti-keratinocyte proliferation, and anti-inflammatory actions. Hence, PG-E has great potential in the application of anti-acne and skin-care products, and punicalagin (), the most effective component in PG-E, can be employed as a quality control marker.