Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Research Articles

Early Access

Physiological effects of aqueous pomegranate peel extract on hematological, liver and lipid profiles in moderately obese men

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.7899
Submitted
24 February 2025
Published
30-04-2025
Versions

Abstract

This study evaluates the therapeutic potential of Pomegranate Peel Extract (PPE) in 104 individuals over a 12-week period. A total of 66 moderately obese participants (groups 4, 5 and 6) received 2000 mg of PPE, while 38 healthy individuals (groups 1, 2 and 3) received 1500 mg, with and without adherence to a healthy diet. Hematological indices [Red Blood Cell (RBC) and White Blood Cell (WBC) count, platelet (PLT), haemoglobin (HGB) levels and hematocrit (HCT) percentages], biochemical markers [glucose, lipid profiles - Total Cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)] and liver enzymes - Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT before and after the study period. Additionally, body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure recorded. Results showed significant increases in HGB, PLT, WBC and HDL levels particularly in moderately obese individuals who consume PPE alongside a healthy diet (group 6). This group also exhibited notable reductions in glucose, TC, TG, LDL, ALT, AST, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These results suggest that PPE may serve as a promising natural intervention for managing obesity and improving metabolic health due to its anti-glycemic, hepatoprotective, cardio-protective, weight management and metabolic regulation effects. However, further clinical studies are required to determine optimal dosages and long-term effects across diverse populations.

References

  1. World Health Organization. "Obesity and Overweight." WHO. 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
  2. Gadde KM, Martin CK, Berthoud HR, Heymsfield SB. Obesity: Pathophysiology and management. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2018;71(1):69–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.11.011
  3. Pi-Sunyer FX. Health implications of obesity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1991;53(6 Suppl):1595S–1603S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/53.6.1595S
  4. Wang YC, McPherson K, Marsh T, Gortmaker SL, Brown M. Health and economic burden of the projected obesity trends in the USA and the UK. Lancet (London, England). 2011;378(9793):815–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60814-3
  5. Ng M, Fleming T, Robinson M, Thomson , Graetz N, Margono C et al. Global, regional and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global burden of disease study 2013. Lancet (London, England). 2014;384(9945):766–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60460-8
  6. de Wit L, Luppino F, van Straten A, Penninx B, Zitman F, Cuijpers, P. Depression and obesity: A meta-analysis of community-based studies. Psychiatry Research. 2010;178(2):230-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2009.04.015
  7. Bray GA. A Guide to obesity and the metabolic syndrome: Origins and Treatment (1st ed.). CRC Press. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1201/b10790
  8. Wadden TA, Webb VL, Moran CH, Bailer BA. Lifestyle modification for obesity: New developments in diet, physical activity and behavior therapy. Circulation. 2012;125(9):1157–70. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.039453
  9. Bahari H, Pourreza S, Goudarzi K, Mirmohammadali SN, Asbaghi, Kolbadi K, et al. The effects of pomegranate consumption on obesity indices in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Food Science and Nutrition. 2024;12:641–60. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3739
  10. Puneeth HR, Chandra SSP. A review on potential therapeutic properties of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.). Plant Science Today. 2020;7(1):9–16. https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.2020.7.1.619
  11. Boussaa F, Zaouay F, Burlo-Carbonell F, Noguera-Artiaga L, Carbonell-Barrachina A, Melgarejo P, et al. Growing location affects physical properties, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum L. var. Gabsi). International Journal of Fruit Science. 2020;20(sup2):508–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538362.2020.1741058
  12. Ko K, Dadmohammadi Y, Abbaspourrad A. Nutritional and bioactive components of pomegranate waste used in food and cosmetic applications: A review. Foods. 2021;10(3):657. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10030657
  13. Mphahlele RR, Fawole OA, Makunga NP, et al. Effect of drying on the bioactive compounds, antioxidant, antibacterial antityrosinase activities of pomegranate peel. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016;16:143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1132-y
  14. Malviya S, Arvind Jha A, Hettiarachchy N. Antioxidant and antibacterial potential of pomegranate peel extracts. Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2014;51(12):4132–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-013-0956-4
  15. Rajha HN, Abi-Khattar AM, El Kantar S, Boussetta N, Lebovka N, Maroun R G, et al. Comparison of aqueous extraction efficiency and biological activities of polyphenols from pomegranate peels assisted by infrared, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields and high-voltage electrical discharges. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies. 2019;58:102212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2019.102212
  16. Atabik A, Muqtada MR, Suhadi Irnawati, Rohman A. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits in the quranic hermeneutics and scientific perspectives. Food Research. 2022;6(5):1–13. https://doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.6(5).504
  17. Jurenka JS. Therapeutic applications of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.): A review. Alternative medicine review. A Journal of Clinical Therapeutic. 2008;13(2):128–44.
  18. Wong TL, Strandberg KR, Croley CR, Fraser SE, Nagulapalli Venkata KC, et al. Pomegranate bioactive constituents target multiple oncogenic and oncosuppressive signaling for cancer prevention and intervention. Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2021;73:265–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.01.006
  19. Esther Lydia D, Khusro A, Immanuel P, Esmail GA, Al-Dhabi NA, Arasu MV. Photo-activated synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles from Punica granatum L. seed oil: An assessment on antioxidant and anticancer properties for functional yoghurt nutraceuticals. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. Biology. 2020;206:111868. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.111868
  20. Rafiqul Islam ATM, Ferdousi J, Shahinozzaman M. Previously published ethno-pharmacological reports reveal the potentiality of plants and plant-derived products used as traditional home remedies by Bangladeshi COVID-19 patients to combat SARS-CoV-2. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 2021;28(11):6653–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.07.036
  21. Hontecillas R, O'Shea M, Einerhand A, Diguardo M, Bassaganya-Riera J. Activation of PPAR gamma and alpha by punicic acid ameliorates glucose tolerance and suppresses obesity-related inflammation. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2009;28(2):184–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2009.10719770
  22. Xu KZ, Zhu C, Kim MS, Yamahara J, Li Y. Pomegranate flower ameliorates fatty liver in an animal model of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2009;123(2):280-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.03.035
  23. Mayasankaravalli C, Deepika K, Esther Lydia D, Agada R, Thagriki D, Govindasamy C et.al. Profiling the phyto-constituents of Punica granatum fruits peel extract and accessing its in-vitro antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory properties. Saudi Journal of biological sciences. 2020;27(12):3228–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.09.046
  24. Nair AB, Jacob S. A simple practice guide for dose conversion between animals and human. J Basic Clin Pharm. 2016;7(2):27-31. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-0105.177703
  25. Fatma Z, Luis MJ, Antonio EL, Laura SR, Ferraez HT, et.al. An aqueous pomegranate peel extract (Punica granatum) protect against Elastase-induced pulmonary emphysema in Sprague Dawley rats model. Braz J Pharm Sci. 2022:57. https://doi.org/10.1590/s2175-97902020000418972
  26. Abdulredha WS, Shuhaib HO. Flaxseeds using effect as weight loose with or without diet and exercise on liver enzymes and lipids profile in moderate obese men. Biochemical and Cellular Archives. 2020;(20):3433. https://connectjournals.com/03896.2020.20.3433
  27. Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS. Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clinical Chemistry. 1972;18(6):499–502.
  28. Reddy MK, Gupta SK, Jacob MR, Khan SI, Ferreira D. Antioxidant, antimalarial and antimicrobial activities of tannin-rich fractions, ellagitannins and phenolic acids from Punica granatum L. Planta Medica. 2007;73(5):461–67. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-967167
  29. Hagag OYA, Younis FE, Al-Eisa RA, Fayad E, El-Shenawy NS. Effect of feeding pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel and garlic (Allium sativum) on antioxidant status and reproductive efficiency of female rabbits. Veterinary Sciences. 2023;10(3):179. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10030179
  30. Imbabi TA, Ahmed-Farid O, Selim DA, Sabeq II. Antioxidant and anti-apoptotic potential of whole-pomegranate extract promoted growth performance, physiological homeostasis and meat quality of V-line rabbits under hot summer conditions. Anim Feed Sci Technol. 2021;276:114911. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ANIFEEDSCI.2021.114911
  31. Grabez M, Skrbic R, Stojiljkovic M, Rudic Grujic V, Paunovic M, Arsic A, et al. Beneficial effects of pomegranate peel extract on plasma lipid profile, fatty acids levels and blood pressure in patients with diabetes mellitus type-2: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Funct Foods. 2019;64:103692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.06.014
  32. Rahnama Z, Poozesh Jadidi R, Nasir Zadeh MR. Effect of two month aerobic training and pomegranate peel extract (PPE) supplementation on Insulin resistance index levels in obese rats. Journal of Applied Health Studies in Sport Physiology. 2017;4(1):1-10. https://doi.org/10.22049/jassp.2019.26522.1197
  33. Faddladdeen KAJ. Ameliorating effect of pomegranate peel extract supplement against type 1 diabetes-induced hepatic changes in the rat: Biochemical, morphological and ultrastructural microscopicstudies. Foliamorphologica. 2021;80(1):149–57. https://doi.org/10.5603/FM.a2020.0034
  34. Fatimah A, Alqahtani1 F. The role of olive leaves and pomegranate peel extracts on diabetes mellitus induced in male rats. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine. 2018;71(5):3079-85.
  35. Raheema RH. Effect of pomegranate peel extract on some biochemical and histopathological parameters in experimental induced mice with Staphylococcus aureus. J Anim Health Prod. 2016;4(2):42-9.
  36. Faddladdeen KA, Ojaimi AA. Protective effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum) extract against diabetic changes in adult male rat liver: Histological study. Journal of microscopy and ultrastructure. 2019;7(4):165–70. https://doi.org/10.4103/JMAU.JMAU_6_19
  37. Arun K, Jayamurthy P, Anusha C, Mahesh S, Nisha P. Studies on activity guided fractionation of pomegranate peel extracts and its effect on anti¬diabetic and cardiovascular protection properties. J Food Process Preserv. 2017;41(1):e13108. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1745-4549
  38. Barghchi H, Milkarizi N, Belyani S, Norouzian Ostad A, Askari VR, Rajabzadeh F, et al. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract ameliorates metabolic syndrome risk factors in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. Nutrition Journal. 2023;22(1):40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-023-00869-2
  39. Al-Shaaibi SN, Waly MI, Al-Subhi L, Tageldin MH, Al-Balushi NM, Rahman MS. Ameliorative effects of pomegranate peel extract against dietary-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver in rats. Preventive Nutrition and Food Science. 2016;21(1):14–23. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2016.21.1.14
  40. Al-Sallami AS, Al-bideri AW, Alsaaedi SH. Hepatoprotective effect of pomegranate peel (Punica granatum L.) against thioacetamide-induced cirrhosis. The Egyptian Journal of Experimental Biology. 2018;14:41-7.
  41. Abd El-Aziz YM, Hendam BM, Al-Salmi FA, Qahl SH, Althubaiti EH, Elsaid FG, et al. Ameliorative effect of Pomegranate Peel Extract (PPE) on hepatotoxicity prompted by Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3-NPs) in mice. Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland). 2022;12(17):3074. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12173074
  42. Kaplan M, Hayek T, Raz A, Coleman R, Dornfeld L, Vaya J, et al. Pomegranate juice supplementation to atherosclerotic mice reduces macrophage lipid peroxidation, cellular cholesterol accumulation and development of atherosclerosis. The Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131(8):2082–89. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/131.8.2082
  43. Al-Muammar MN, Khan F. Obesity: the preventive role of the pomegranate (Punica granatum). Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.). 2012;28(6):595–604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2011.11.013
  44. Altunkaya A. Potential antioxidant activity of pomegranate peel and seed extracts and synergism with added phenolic antioxidants in a liposome system: a preliminary study. Ir J Agricultural food Res. 2014:121–31. http://hdl.handle.net/11019/757
  45. Lv O, Wang L, Li J, Ma Q, Zhao W. Effects of pomegranate peel polyphenols on lipid accumulation and cholesterol metabolic transformation in L-02 human hepatic cells via the PPAR?-ABCA1/CYP7A1 pathway. Food and function. 2016;7(12):4976–83. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6fo01261b
  46. Sadeghipour A, Eidi M, Ilchizadeh Kavgani A, Ghahramani R, Shahabzadeh S, Anissian A. Lipid lowering effect of Punica granatum L. peel in high lipid diet fed male rats. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM. 2014:432650. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/432650
  47. Banihani S, Swedan S, Alguraan Z. Pomegranate and type 2 diabetes. Nutrition research (New York, NY). 2013;33(5):341–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2013.03.003
  48. Stockton A, Al-Dujaili, EAS. Effect of pomegranate extract consumption on satiety parameters in healthy volunteers: A preliminary randomized study. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). 2022;11(17):2639. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11172639
  49. Rafraf M, Haghighian MK, Molani-Gol R, Hemmati S, Asghari Jafarabadi M. Effects of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract supplementation on markers of inflammation and serum matrix metalloproteinase 1 in women with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Nutrition and metabolic insights. 2024;17:11786388241243266. https://doi.org/10.1177/11786388241243266
  50. Lamiaa ML, Eman SA. The impact of pomegranate peel-fortified cupcakes on weight loss. Int J Pharm Res Allied Sci. 2019;8(3).
  51. Aviram M, Dornfeld L, Rosenblat M, Volkova N, Kaplan M, Coleman R, 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. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000;71(5):1062–76. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/71.5.1062
  52. Asgary S, Sahebkar A, Afshani MR, Keshvari M, Haghjooyjavanmard S, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Clinical evaluation of blood pressure lowering, endothelial function improving, hypolipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects of pomegranate juice in hypertensive subjects. Phytotherapy research: PTR. 2014;28(2):193–99. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.4977
  53. Dos Santos RL, Dellacqua LO, Delgado NT, Rouver WN, Podratz PL, Lima C, et al. Pomegranate peel extract attenuates oxidative stress by decreasing coronary angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in hypertensive female rats. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A. 2016;79(21):998–1007. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2016.1213690
  54. Ali MY, Jannat S, Chang MS. Discovery of potent angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in pomegranate as a treatment for hypertension. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2023;71(30):11476–90. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c02115

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.