English Name: Pomegranate
Arabic Name: Ar-rumman
Urdu Name: Anar
Family: Punicaceae | Distribution: Central Asia, The Caucasus, south-west Asia, and the Mediterranean
Parts used: Bark, root, flower, fruit. The bark contains alkaloids. Root: alkaloids, pseudo-palletierine, palletierine, isopalletierine, methyl palletierine. Flower: sitosterol, tannins – punicalagin & punicalin
Fruits: Mannose, Galactose, rhamnose, arabinose, glucose, galactouronic acid
Medicinal Uses | Punica granatum as such bears long history of medicinal use. Many studies have shown roots to have effective anthelmintic properties. It is known to have anti-microbial properties against Salmonella typhi and Vibrio cholera, the parasite Giardia and as well as amoeba and includes some viruses too. In particular, the peel extract of Punicagranatum has extensively been studied for its antioxidant activity, cytotoxic activity, hypoglycemic activity, hepatoprotective activity, and anti-inflammatory activity. Punicagranatum is used as an anti-parasitic agent, a blood tonic, and to heal aphthae, diarrhea, and ulcers. In the Unani system, practiced in the Middle East and India, and according to the same review, pomegranate was described as also a remedy for diabetes. A recent review reported the chemical constituents of diverse parts of P. Granatum as well as their potential for prevention and treatment of inflammation and cancer. The authors refer that in pericarp, leaf and flower can be detected phenols (flavonoids and tannins) being some of them unique. Complex polysaccharides have also been detected and characterized in the peels.
