Application of the Extracts of Punica granatum in Oral Cancer: Scoping Review

Abstract

The Punica granatum L. is an ancient fruit plant native to south-western Asia. It belongs to the Litraceae family and of its genus we have only one other Punica protopunic species. The fruit is rich in polyphenols, whose extract is consumed as a food and is considered safe. In medicine, it is used for its antioxidant properties; it has a rich component of tannic polyphenols among which the most bioactive are: punicalagin (flavonoids) and anthocyanins (delphinidin, cyanidin, pelargonidin), which are found mainly in the skins and in the pericarp; however, all the parts of the Punica granatum are used for therapeutic purposes as anti-inflammatories and analgesics and in diabetes and cardio-vascular disease. Punica granatum extracts also show interesting anticancer activities in influencing tumorgenesis and angiogenesis and cell transformation and proliferation. The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize all the scientific evidence on the possible applications of Punica granatum extracts in the treatment and prevention of oral cavity tumors to investigate the anticancer properties of the active ingredients extracted from Punica granatum. Methods: The scoping review was carried out following the PRISMA-ScR checklist; the search was performed on three databases (Scopus, Science direct and PubMed) and one registry (Cochrane library). Results: The search produced a number of bibliographic sources equal to 11,403; with the removal of duplicates, 670 potentially admissible articles were obtained, from 24 of which only 7 in vitro studies on OSCC cell lines were included. Conclusions: From the preliminary data on the cellular lines of OSCC, it emerges that for oral cancer there are conditions for which the extracts of Punic granatum are effective at least from a prevention perspective.

Dietary Polyphenols against Oxidative Stress in Head and Neck Cancer: What's New, What's Next

“…Notably, the use of polyphenols does not entail any side effects, as they are completely non-toxic. This aspect greatly enhances the utility of polyphenols in clinical therapy [37,162].…”

Bioactive phytocompounds for oral cancer prevention and treatment: A comprehensive and critical evaluation

“…With this in mind, efforts may be directed towards investigating methods of obtaining pharmacologically-active doses of pomegranates, and blueberries, to be efficacious against oral cancer. [239][240][241][242][243] This data, combined with our knowledge that populations consuming larger amounts of fruits and vegetables experience lower rates of oral cancer and better outcomes following diagnosis, indicate a need to identify the phytochemicals responsible for these protective effects and characterize their mechanistic actions. [244][245][246] Collectively, this article serves as a comprehensive review of phytochemicals and their roles against oral cancer.…”

“…While future studies may focus on the limitations outlined above, other investigators may choose to expand horizons by identifying novel compounds. Researchers have already demonstrated the ability of whole plant products and their extracts, including black raspberries, pomegranates, and blueberries, to be efficacious against oral cancer 239–243 . This data, combined with our knowledge that populations consuming larger amounts of fruits and vegetables experience lower rates of oral cancer and better outcomes following diagnosis, indicate a need to identify the phytochemicals responsible for these protective effects and characterize their mechanistic actions 244–246 …”

Physicochemical and Toxicological Screening of Silver Nanoparticle Biosynthesis from Punica granatum Peel Extract

“…Punica granatum, commonly known as the pomegranate, is a plant with a rich history of traditional medicinal uses. Research has shown that P. granatum exhibits a wide range of pharmacological properties and health benefits, highlighting its therapeutic effects in various conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, inflammation, and gastrointestinal issues [9][10][11][12][13]. It was stated that extracts of various parts of P. granatum have an important role in reducing osteoporosis, as well as a gastro-protective effect through the inhibition of gastric mucosal injury [14,15].…”