Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, C/O Christiaan de Wet and Pioneer Streets; Private Box X06, Florida 1710, South Africa.
Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, C/O Christiaan de Wet and Pioneer Streets; Private Box X06, Florida 1710, South Africa.
Biomed Pharmacother. 2022 Sep;153:113256. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113256. Epub 2022 Jul 14.
Punica granatum L (pomegranate) is one of the Mediterranean medicinal plants that has been used for generations in treating ulcers, diarrhea, and male infertility. Increasing evidence has revealed that pomegranate possesses myriads of pharmacological activities such as anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-malaria, anti-fibrotic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and other effects. Consumption of pomegranate could be used to improve gut microbiota, and therefore prevent obesity and diabetes. The mechanisms of actions of pomegranate, mainly involve nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. In recent times, in silico molecular docking studies demonstrated that pomegranate extract and or its phytochemicals are potential inhibitors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) spike protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor contact. Also, some clinical trials have indicated that pomegranate can be consumed for alleviation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, dental infections, and menopausal symptoms. To date, active compounds, viz. alkaloids, anthocyanidins, tannins, flavonoids, phenolics, proanthocyanidins, sterols, terpenes, terpenoids, xanthonoids, fatty acids, organic acids, lignans, saccharides, and vitamin C have been isolated from pomegranate. Therefore, the current review article aimed to gather and presents an update on the ethnomedicinal uses, pharmacological activities, phytochemistry, and molecular mechanisms of Punica granatum L. This knowledge is of paramount importance in the future in drug discovery for the development of novel natural drugs for the treatment of various ailments.
石榴（Punica granatum L）是地中海地区的药用植物之一，自古以来一直被用于治疗溃疡、腹泻和男性不育症。越来越多的证据表明，石榴具有多种药理活性，如抗糖尿病、抗肿瘤、抗炎、抗疟疾、抗纤维化、抗真菌、抗菌等作用。石榴的消费可以用来改善肠道微生物群，从而预防肥胖和糖尿病。石榴的作用机制主要涉及核因子-红细胞生成素 2 相关因子 2（Nrf2）、核因子 kappa B（NF-kB）和丝裂原激活蛋白激酶（MAPK）信号通路。最近，计算机分子对接研究表明，石榴提取物及其植物化学物质可能是严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-COV-2）刺突蛋白和血管紧张素转换酶 2（ACE2）受体结合的潜在抑制剂。此外，一些临床试验表明，石榴可用于缓解非酒精性脂肪性肝病、代谢综合征、牙科感染和更年期症状。迄今为止，已经从石榴中分离出活性化合物，如生物碱、花青素、单宁、类黄酮、酚类、原花青素、甾醇、萜类、三萜类、黄烷酮、脂肪酸、有机酸、木脂素、糖和维生素 C。因此，本文旨在收集和介绍石榴的民族医学用途、药理学活性、植物化学和分子机制的最新进展。这些知识对于未来的药物发现至关重要，有助于开发新型天然药物来治疗各种疾病。
