Pomegranate human studies

In preliminary human studies, use of pomegranate juice led to a decrease in levels of prostate-specific immune response after primary treatment with surgery or radiation, indicating that the juice may be beneficial as a stabilizing or preventive agent against prostate cancer. 

Aviram, M. et al., Pomegranate juice consumption reduces oxidative stress, atherogenic modifications to LDL, and platelet aggregation studies in humans and in atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 71, 1062-1076, 2000. 

Aviram, M. et al., Pomegranate juice flavonoids inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation and cardiovascular diseases studies in atherosclerotic mice and humans, Drugs Exp. Clin. Res., 28, 49-62, 2002. 

Figure 8.4 Pomegranate juice reduces oxidative stress in lesions and in macrophages in vivo and in vitro studies. Mean ( SD) of the effect of PJ consumption on lipid peroxides in human carotid lesions (A) and in mouse peritoneal macrophages (B). J774 A1 macrophages were incubated with increasing concentrations of PJ for 90 minutes at 37°C. (C) Cellular oxidative stress measured as DCFH oxidation, (D) PON2 lactonase activity, and (E) PON2 mRNA expression. = p < 0.01 (aftervs. before PJ consumption in humans, and PJ vs. control in mice, and incubation in vitro with PJ vs. control without PJ).

It is within the context of finding products that have an effect on human health that a study has been published regarding the gene expression of prostate cancer cells treated with pomegranate fruit juice (70) where a comparative proteomics study provided insights for prostate cancer evolution. The involvement of pomegranate fruit products in the molecular mechanism of inducing prostate cancer cell apoptosis has been evidenced. Thus, a possible... 

In vitro studies have indicated that pomegranate juice competitively binds to estrogen receptors (Kajiya et al. 2005 Maru et al. 2001). The relevance of the in vitro data to human use is not known. 

A polyphenol-rich fraction of pomegranate seed oil inhibited 17p-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 at concentrations ranging from 100 to 1000 pg/ml. The oil also inhibited proliferation of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), inhibited invasion of MGF-7 across a membrane, and induced apoptosis in ER-negative human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-435) (Kim et al. 2002). An older study indicated that dried pomegranate seed contains the compound estrone at a concentration of 17 mg/kg (Heftmann et al. 1966) a more recent analysis indicated that no estrone was present (Choi et al. 2006). 

Aviram M, Domfeld L, Rosenblat M, et al. Pomegranate juice consumption reduces oxidative stress, atherogenic modifications to LDL, and platelet aggregation Studies in humans and in atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Am Clin Nutr. 2000 71 1062—1076. Rosenblat M, Volkova N, Attias J, Mahamid R, Aviram M. Consumption of polyphenolic-rich beverages (mostly pomegranate and black currant juices) by healthy subjects for a short term increased serum antioxidant status, and the serum s ability to attenuate macrophage cholesterol accumulation. Food Fund. 2010 1 99-109. 

Drug-food interactions A systematic review evaluating interactions between CBZ and food [60 ] found that caffeine decreases oral bioavailability and impairs the anticonvulsant efficacy of CBZ in both human and animal studies. Grapefruit, kinnow, pomegranate, and star fruit juices cause an increase in the oral bioavailability of CBZ through inhibition of enteric CYP3A4 activity. 

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