In this study, eight different pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars from Turkey were evaluated for their antioxidant and cytotoxic effects on the MCF‐7 breast cancer cell lines and MCF‐10A breast fibrocystic epithelial cell lines with a focus on their chemical compositions by LC‐MS/MS. Cell lines were treated with pomegranate juice extracts in different doses at selected time intervals (24th, 48th, and 72nd hour). Afterwards, WST‐1 cell proliferation assay was performed to investigate the cytotoxicity of the extracts. Accordingly, all extracts decreased the cell viability of MCF‐7 breast cancer cell lines and had no cytotoxic effect on the cell viability of MCF‐10A cell lines. Among eight extracts, P7 (Izmir 1513), which was rich in anthocyanins such as cyanidin chloride (69.76 ± 8.02 μg/g extract), cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside (903.66 ± 101.89 μg/g extract), and punicalagin (992.09 ± 174.53 μg/g extract), was found to demonstrate the strongest cytotoxic activity on MCF‐7 breast cancer cell lines by decreasing the cell viability in half at 24th hour with an IC50 value of 49.08 µg/ml. Practical applications Eight commercially valuable pomegranate (Punica granatum) cultivars from Turkey were examined. Pelargonidin, cyanidin, cyanidin‐3‐O‐gl, callistephin, and delphinidin‐3‐O‐gl were quantified. Two cultivars (P1 and P3) showed comparatively higher antioxidant effects. A cultivar (P7) showed strongest cytotoxic activity against MCF‐7 breast cancer cell line. The cultivars have potential to be used as natural antioxidant and anticancer agents.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) belong to the superfamily of nuclear receptors which are are ligand-activated transcription factors. Three different PPAR subtypes have been identified; PPARα, PPARβ (also called PPARδ), and PPARγ (Abbot 2009). PPARα is found in tissues such as heart, muscle, liver and kidney where fatty acid catabolism is important and so regulates genes involved in lipid metabolism. PPARα is activated by natural ligands (polyunsaturated fatty acids, lipolytic products of lipoproteins, oxidized phospholipids) and by synthetic ligands (gemfibrozil and fenofibrate) (Touyz and Schiffrin 2006). Fenofibrate which is currently used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, also maintains bone mass. Whole body and femoral bone mineral density (BMD) values were higher in ovariectomized rats given fenofibrate, compared to controls (Stunes et al. 2011).PPARγ is heavily expressed in adipose tissue and controls adipocyte differentiation and lipid storage. PPARγ regulates the action of insulin through its effects on adipose tissue and skeletal muscle (Touyz and Schiffrin 2006). Natural agonists (eicosanoids and oxidized, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and synthetic agonists (thiazolidinediones; a family of antidiabetic drugs-rosiglitazone and