Pomegranate juice is a good source of fructose, sucrose, and glucose. It also has some of the simple organic acids such as ascorbic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid. Pomegranate juice has become more popular because of the attribution of important biological actions.
Pomegranate fruit contains many phenolic compounds including flavonoids-anthocyanins, and other complex flavanoids and hydrolysable tannins (punicalagin, gallic and ellagic acid), which are compounds with high antioxidant activity that may offer beneficial health properties.
The antioxidants in fruits are a substance can help reduce levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a type of free radical, in the body. Free radicals may play a part in cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other diseases of aging.
Free radical is an unstable molecule made by the process of oxidation during normal metabolism. The free radical concentration level increases under certain circumstances e.g., environmental stress, wounding and pathogen attack, and can damage the living organisms when left unchecked. Exposure to toxins, such as tobacco smoke, can also increase ROS levels.
High levels of ROS can lead to oxidative stress, resulting in cell damage and inflammation. Oxidative stress may contribute to metabolic disease, cancer, and other health issues. Antioxidants help remove ROS from the body.
Pomegranate juice and peel have catechins with a high antioxidant activity. They are essential compounds of anthocyanin's production with antioxidant and inflammatory role. All pomegranate flavonoids show antioxidant activity with indirect inhibition of inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
Antioxidant activity of pomegranate
