Effects of the Nutraceutical, Punicic Acid

Plant extracts and nutraceuticals are the most ancient and widespread form of medication employed by the general population. The pomegranate is a prehistoric, mystical and a highly differentiated fruit. Moreover, pomegranate is found in some medicinal systems as a cure for a variety of illnesses. Pomegranate has been used for a long time for nutraceutical purposes. Current research indicates that the most medicinally useful pomegranate components include ellagitannins, anthocyanins, anthocyanidins, flavonoids, estrogenic flavonols and flavones. Also pomegranate seed oil contains 64-83% punicic acid. Therefore, this review focussed on the effects of punicic acid, particularly those that have been reported such as the anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antiinflammatory and antidiabetic effects. As nutraceuticals appear to play a major role in the prophylaxis of various diseases, punicic acid could be an important and phytoconstituent among these agents. Nutraceuticals are generally regarded as safe to use with lower incidence of side effects. In spite of all these reports it is obvious that there is a clear need for more clinical studies.