Punicic acid explained

Punicic acid (also called trichosanic acid) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, 18:3 cis-9, trans-11, cis-13. It is named for the pomegranate, (Punica granatum), and is obtained from pomegranate seed oil. It has also been found in the seed oils of snake gourd.^[1]

Punicic acid is a conjugated linolenic acid or CLnA; i.e. it has three conjugated double bonds. It is chemically similar to the conjugated linoleic acids, or CLA, which have two. It has also been classified as an "n-5" or "omega-5" polyunsaturated fatty acid. In lab rats, punicic acid was converted to the CLA rumenic acid (9Z11E-CLA).^[2] In vitro, it shows anti-invasive activity against prostate cancer cells.^[3] OLETF rats - a strain which becomes obese - remained relatively lean when punicic acid was added to their feed.^[4]

See also

• Punicalagin

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cyberlipid. POLYENOIC FATTY ACIDS. 2007-01-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20180930034042/http://www.cyberlipid.org/fa/acid0003.htm. 2018-09-30. dead.
2. J Nutr. 1 August 2006. 136. 8. 2153–9. 2007-01-23. Conjugated linolenic acid is slowly absorbed in rat intestine, but quickly converted to conjugated linoleic acid. Tsuzuki T, Kawakami Y, Abe R . 10.1093/jn/136.8.2153. 16857834. free.
3. Lansky E, Harrison G, Froom P, Jiang W . Pomegranate (Punica granatum) pure chemicals show possible synergistic inhibition of human PC-3 prostate cancer cell invasion across Matrigel . Invest New Drugs . 23 . 2 . 121–2 . 2005 . 15744587. 10.1007/s10637-005-5856-7. 5867887 .
4. Arao K, Wang Y, Inoue N, Hirata J, Cha J, Nagao K, Yanagita T . Dietary effect of pomegranate seed oil rich in 9cis, 11trans, 13cis conjugated linolenic acid on lipid metabolism in obese, hyperlipidemic OLETF rats . Lipids Health Dis . 3 . 24 . 2004. 15533261. 10.1186/1476-511X-3-24 . 534798 . free .