Punicalagin Explained

Punicalagin (Pyuni-cala-jen) is an ellagitannin, a type of phenolic compound. It is found as alpha and beta isomers in pomegranates (Punica granatum), Terminalia catappa, Terminalia myriocarpa,^[1] and in Combretum molle, the velvet bushwillow, a plant species found in South Africa.^[2] These three genera are all Myrtales and the last two are both Combretaceae.

Research

Punicalagins are water-soluble and hydrolyze into smaller phenolic compounds, such as ellagic acid.
There were no toxic effects in rats on a 6% diet of punicalagins for 37 days.^[3] In laboratory research, punicalagins had carbonic anhydrase inhibitor activity.^[4]

See also

• Ellagic acid
• Punicic acid

Notes and References

1. Marzouk . M. S. A. . El-Toumy . S. A. A. . Moharram . F. A. . Shalaby . N. M. . Ahmed . A. A. . Pharmacologically Active Ellagitannins from Terminalia myriocarpa . 10.1055/s-2002-32549 . Planta Medica . 68 . 6 . 523–527 . 2002 . 12094296.
2. Asres . K. . Bucar . F. . Knauder . E. . Yardley . V. . Kendrick . H. . Croft . S. L. . In vitro antiprotozoal activity of extract and compounds from the stem bark of Combretum molle . 10.1002/ptr.897 . Phytotherapy Research . 15 . 7 . 613–617 . 2001 . 11746844. 24511496 .
3. 12744688. 2003. Cerdá. Repeated oral administration of high doses of the pomegranate ellagitannin punicalagin to rats for 37 days is not toxic. B. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 51. 11. 3493–501. Cerón. J. J. Tomás-Barberán. F. A. Espín. J. C. 10.1021/jf020842c.
4. Satomi . H. . Umemura . K. . Ueno . A. . Hatano . T. . Okuda . T. . Noro . T. . Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors from the pericarps of Punica granatum L . Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin . 16 . 8 . 787–790 . 1993 . 8220326 . 10.1248/bpb.16.787. free .