Physicochemical properties, nutrient profile, microbial stability, and sensory evaluation of cupcakes enriched with pomegranate seed oil

Excessive use of refined flour, solid fats, and sugar in preparing baked products are considered to be unhealthy and is intricately linked with the development of lifestyle diseases. Replacing refined flour with whole wheat flour and solid fats with cold-pressed oil serves as an alternate option. The study was aimed at evaluating the physicochemical properties, nutrient composition, sensory attributes, and shelf life of cupcakes enriched using pomegranate seed oil (PSO). Vanilla and chocolate cupcake variants were prepared using 25 and 50% of PSO. A sensory panel consisting of 30 semi-trained participants was selected for evaluating the formulated products using a five-point hedonic scale. Nutrient content was estimated using standard techniques. The stability of the formulated product was determined by evaluating the physicochemical traits and microbial growth on the 0th, 4th, and 7th day. Mean scores of the sensorial analysis showed that the incorporation of PSO in cupcakes was highly accepted by the panel members. Chocolate cupcake containing 50% of PSO was found to be the most preferred product (3.53±0.94), followed by vanilla cupcake containing 25% of PSO (3.4±0.62). The moisture, protein, and fat content of chocolate cupcakes containing 25% of PSO were high. Cupcakes prepared with PSO can be stored for four days at room temperature. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of punicic acid, oleic acid, tocopherols, campesterol, sitosterols, stigmasterol, and α-tocopheryl acetate as pre-dominant fatty acid in unheated and heated PSO. In conclusion, cupcakes prepared using PSO showed acceptable physicochemical qualities and sensory properties which indicated its successful consumption by people affected with metabolic disorders.

Pomegranate Fruit Quality and Seed Drying Method: Effect on the Chemical Composition and Bioactivities of the Extracted Oil

The study presents a comparative investigation of the composition and bioactivity of oil extracted from pomegranate seeds of sun-burned fruit (SB) and healthy fruit (HF) for the value-adding potential of pomegranate fruit waste. Seeds from SB and HF were independently freeze dried, sun dried, and oven dried before ultrasound-assisted oil extraction using petroleum ether. The extracted oil was analysed for yield, refractive index, ρ-anisidine value, total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging ability, antimicrobial activity, tyrosinase enzyme inhibition ability, and fatty acid composition. The results showed that oven dried seeds, regardless of fruit quality, yielded the highest oil (20.85–24.70%, dry weight). Regardless of the seed drying method, oil from the seeds of SB exhibited the highest TPC (1.48–2.84 mgGAE/g PSO) than oil from the seeds of HF. The oil from oven dried and freeze dried seeds of SB were more effective in scavenging the DPPH radicals with IC50 values of 34.77 and 39.97 µg/mL, respectively. All the oil samples showed good ability to inhibit tyrosinase enzyme regardless of fruit quality and seed drying method, with monophenolase and diphenolase IC50 ranging between 0.31 and 0.49 mg/mL and 0.64 and 2.43 mg/mL, respectively. Irrespective of the drying method, oil extracted from HF seeds exhibited greater antimicrobial potency against the tested bacteria. The fatty acid composition of the oil samples was neither affected by fruit quality and seed drying method. Generally, all oil samples exhibited high levels of punicic acid (81.21–82.68%) and low omega 6 to omega 3 ratios (0.19–0.37%), suggesting that the oil samples were healthy. Principal component analysis (PCA) established that freeze dried seeds of SB is an excellent source of oil with higher TPC, punicic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and unsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratio. It can be concluded that the seed from SB is a good raw material for oil that can be utilised in cosmetic products formulation.

Analysis of the Phytochemical Composition of Pomegranate Fruit Juices, Peels and Kernels: A Comparative Study on Four Cultivars Grown in Southern Italy

The increasing popularity of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), driven by the awareness of its nutraceutical properties and excellent environmental adaptability, is promoting a global expansion of its production area. This investigation reports the variability in the weight, moisture, pH, total soluble solids, carbohydrates, organic acids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, antioxidant activities, and element composition of different fruit parts (juices, peels, and kernels) from four (Ako, Emek, Kamel, and Wonderful One) of the most widely cultivated Israeli pomegranate varieties in Salento (South Italy). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic characterization of different fruit parts from pomegranate cultivars grown simultaneously in the same orchard and subjected to identical agronomic and environmental conditions. Significant genotype-dependent variability was observed for many of the investigated parameters, though without any correlation among fruit parts. The levels of phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids of all samples were higher than the literature-reported data, as was the antioxidant activity. This is likely due to positive interactions among genotypes, the environment, and good agricultural practices. This study also confirms that pomegranate kernels and peels are, respectively, rich sources of punicic acid and phenols together, with several other bioactive molecules. However, the variability in their levels emphasizes the need for further research to better exploit their agro-industrial potential and thereby increase juice-production chain sustainability. This study will help to assist breeders and growers to respond to consumer and industrial preferences and encourage the development of biorefinery strategies for the utilization of pomegranate by-products as nutraceuticals or value-added ingredients for custom-tailored supplemented foods.

The Time-Dependent Dynamics of Gut Microbiota and the Interaction With Host Metabolism in Mouse Pulmonary Fibrosis Models

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic progressive disease whose pathogenesis is thought to be associated with activation of the immune system and consequent metabolic changes. Recent studies suggested that gut microbes are closely related with host's immune response and metabolic changes in fibrotic hosts. However, the dynamic changes of the gut microbiome and the interaction profiles with host metabolism during the development of pulmonary fibrosis remain inconclusive. Results: We collected serum and fecal samples from bleomycin-induced fibrotic mice at 0, 7, 14, and 28 days and performed UPLC-MS analysis on serum metabolites and metagenomic sequencing on fecal samples. It is found that the serum metabolic profile and gut microbiome were significantly altered in mice during the progression of fibrosis. Among the serum metabolites, the levels of three major types of lipids, i.e., glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, and fatty acids exhibit significant time-dependent changes. The glycerolipid TG and multiple glycerophospholipids (3 PG, 6 PE, and 1 PC) decreased in the early stage of fibrosis and increased in the late stage. The other two types of glycerolipids MG and DG and the fatty acids Cartinine and Punicic acid decreased through the development of fibrosis. In the meantime, we detected significantly elevated abundance of gut microbiome taxa, including Prevotella sp. from Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus from Firmicutes, and Bifidobacterium from Actinobacteria in mice with pulmonary fibrosis. When compared to the dynamic profiles of serum metabolites, the abundances of gut microbiome show a high level of correlation with that of serum metabolites. The taxa from Bacteroides, such as Butyricimonas_synergistica and Muribaculaceae, show positive correlation with the cluster of glycerophospholipids, while taxa from Firmicutes, such as Clostridioides difficile and Enterococcus faecium exhibit negative correlation. Further functional classification suggested that those taxa are involved in multiple functional modules, such as Transporters, Secretion system, and Metabolism. Conclusions: The results reveal the synergistic changes between the gut microbiome and host metabolism and the dynamic responses of gut microbiome to host fibrosis during the progression of fibrosis.

Punicic Acid Triggers Ferroptotic Cell Death in Carcinoma Cells

Plant-derived conjugated linolenic acids (CLnA) have been widely studied for their preventive and therapeutic properties against diverse diseases such as cancer. In particular, punicic acid (PunA), a conjugated linolenic acid isomer (C18:3 c9t11c13) present at up to 83% in pomegranate seed oil, has been shown to exert anti-cancer effects, although the mechanism behind its cytotoxicity remains unclear. Ferroptosis, a cell death triggered by an overwhelming accumulation of lipid peroxides, has recently arisen as a potential mechanism underlying CLnA cytotoxicity. In the present study, we show that PunA is highly cytotoxic to HCT-116 colorectal and FaDu hypopharyngeal carcinoma cells grown either in monolayers or as three-dimensional spheroids. Moreover, our data indicate that PunA triggers ferroptosis in carcinoma cells. It induces significant lipid peroxidation and its effects are prevented by the addition of ferroptosis inhibitors. A combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a known polyunsaturated fatty acid with anticancer properties, synergistically increases PunA cytotoxicity. Our findings highlight the potential of using PunA as a ferroptosis-sensitizing phytochemical for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Fatty acid composition and antioxidant capacity of pomegranate seed oil

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a perennial herb with its long history and has been the symbol of health, fertility and spirituality. In addition to being consumed as fresh fruit, pomegranate is consumed as pomegranate juice, syrup, pomegranate syrup and many different product groups. In particular, pomegranate seeds, which are often produced as waste, are evaluated separately in terms of their fatty acid composition and antioxidant capacity. In this study, the fatty acid composition of pomegranate seed oils was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry (GC/MS). Total antioxidant activity analysis was performed using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method and antioxidant activity value was determined as trolox equivalent (TE). In the study, it was determined that the antioxidant capacity was 171.44 mg TE / 100g. According to GC / MS analysis, it was determined that the most dominant fatty acid was punicic Acid (68.12%). Oleic acid (8.51%), linoleic acid (6.71%) and palmitic acid (5.55%) are the highest fatty acids after punicic acid. It is clear that apart from the widespread consumption of pomegranate fruit, which is very beneficial for health, its seeds can also be used.

Oil Content, Fatty Acid Composition, Physicochemical Properties, and Antioxidant Activity of Seed Oils of Ten Moroccan Pomegranate Cultivars

Pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum L.) are quantitatively and qualitatively a relevant agri-food by-product which is rich in molecules beneficial to human health. In order to valorize this resource, this study aims to evaluate and to compare, for the first time, the characteristics of fruit seeds and seed oils of ten pomegranate cultivars grown in the Center of Morocco. Physical and biometric parameters of seeds, fatty acid composition, physicochemical criteria, and antioxidant activity of seed oils were determined. The results showed significant differences between the ten studied cultivars. The seeds yielded oil contents ranging from 17.59% to 24.69% and presented high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exceeding 89%. The major fatty acid was punicic acid, which represented more than 80% of fatty acids, while other fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid could be considered a minority. Oils showed yellow colour due to the contents of chlorophyll (0.12–1.87 mg/kg) and pheophytin (0.39–3.87 mg/kg) and presented high antioxidant activity (IC50: 0.69–1.80 mg/mL). Therefore, the studied pomegranate seeds had a very good oil yield, and these oils have presented an optimal fatty acid composition and high levels of antioxidant activity. Thus, they could be useful in the formulation of novel foods or used as preservatives and functional components in food industry.

The Egg Yolk Content in ω-3 and Conjugated Fatty Acids Can Be Sustainably Increased upon Long-Term Feeding of Laying Hens with a Diet Containing Flaxseeds and Pomegranate Seed Oil

Long-term feeding trials examining the incorporation of conjugated linolenic acids (CLnA) into the diet of laying hens are lacking. In the present study, we compared two diets in sixty-six red Sex-Link hens (33 hens/treatment), fed for 26 weeks. The control diet was high in oleic acid, while the test diet was high in α-linolenic acid (ALA) and punicic acid (PunA). No significant differences were observed between treatments for hens’ performance, egg weight and yolk weight. In contrast, dietary ALA and PunA resulted in a significant increase in n-3 PUFA, rumenic acid (RmA) and PunA contents in egg yolk, as well as in the liver, heart, muscle and adipose tissue of the hens. Other conjugated dienes resulting from the metabolism of PunA or RmA also accumulated in the egg yolk and tissues. Unlike DHA, w[hich was exclusively distributed in phospholipids, ALA, RmA and PunA were preferably distributed in triglycerides.

Punica granatum L. (Dadim) Punica granatum L. (Dadim), Therapeutic Importance of World’s Most Ancient Fruit Plant

The custom of using plants for the therapeutic and dietary practices is as old as origin of humanity on the earth. One of the most ancient fruit plant is Punica granatum L., pomegranate belongs to Lythraceae family. The plant has a very rich ethnic history of its utilization around the world. The plant was used to symbolize prosperity, life, happiness, fertility etc. Apart from the ethnic beliefs associated with the plant, it is a well-considered plant based remedy used in treatment of many diseases in traditional system like Ayurveda and folk system of medicine. In Ayurveda it is esteemed as a Rasayana. It is used in many Ayurvedic polyherbal formulations which are used against many diseases. The plant consists of numerous phytochemical constituents in it such as polysaccharides, minerals, polyphenols, tannins, saponins, quinones, alkaloids, glycosides, coumarins, terpenoids, steroids etc. Each of the phytochemical constituent is associated with important therapeutic properties. This supper food is globally known for its high anti-oxidant potential. Other associated properties of this medicinal fruit plant are anti-microbial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-anemic etc. The aim of present review is to provide information related to phytochemistry, traditional uses in Ayurveda and folk medicinal system and therapeutic properties of Punica granatum L. Keywords: Dadim, Rasapanchak, Punicalagin, Punicic acid, Anti-oxidant.