Pomegranate fruit contains acids, sugars, vitamins, polysaccharides, polyphenols, and minerals. Phenols (flavonoids and tannins) have been isolated from the pericarp, leaf, and flower. Complex polysaccharides have been detected in the peel. The seeds contain triacylglycerols with high levels of punicic acid. Seeds contain very small amounts of lignin, sterols, steroids, and cerebroside.
Origin and history of pomegranate fruit
Most scholars agree that pomegranate originated from Persia. Archaeological discoveries from the eighth century BC indicate that pomegranate was an important fruit during the time of the Assyrians and Phoenicians. A vase decorated with pomegranates was discovered in a Uruk (modern Iraq) residence, which King Enmerkar founded (c. 4500 BC) and was the home of King Gilgamesh. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets from the mid-third millennium BC mention pomegranates. Archeological evidence of pomegranate use was uncovered in Jericho in the West Bank and Ugarit, a port in Northern Syria. Settar and Korisettar (2001) indicate that pomegranate distribution extended from the Persian countries into the Indus Valley.
Pomegranates likely traveled across the Biblical lands through trade. Persian mythology contains many references to pomegranate. The pomegranate represents fruitfulness, knowledge, learning, and wisdom. It is also a symbol of fertility and rebirth in ancient Persia and Greece. Isfandiyar, the famous Persian warrior, is said to have achieved immortality after eating a pomegranate fruit. Zoroastrianism, the monotheistic religion established in Persia, uses pomegranate fruit in marriage ceremonies.
Herodotus mentions Persian warriors adorning their spears with golden pomegranates in the Persian War with the Greeks in the fifth century BC. In ancient Rome, brides wore headdresses made from pomegranate twigs. The ancient Greeks regarded pomegranate as a gift from Zeus and believed that Persephone, the underworld queen and goddess of crops, tied herself to the god of the underworld, Hades, by eating a few pomegranate seeds. The dead were commemorated with an offering of boiled wheat and sugar, decorated with pomegranate. Today, Greeks break a pomegranate on the ground to initiate weddings, New Year’s, and other celebrations, and pomegranate is often the first gift brought to a new home.
Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates for use in the afterlife. Inscriptions depicting pomegranates have been discovered in burial sites of Tutmosi I (1547 BC) and Ramses IV (1145 BC). A silver vessel shaped like a pomegranate has been recovered from Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt. Pomegranates are a fertility symbol in weddings among Bedouins. According to legend, each pomegranate seed comes from paradise and couples who eat fruit with abundant seeds will have many children. Bedouins also believe that pomegranates possess power over evil; thus, sleeping under the tree guarantees safety during the night.
In China, too, pomegranates have similar symbolism. A pomegranate filled with seeds symbolizes fertility. A picture of a half-open fruit is often given as a wedding gift. The seed in Chinese is called zi, which literally means “sons.” A hundred seeds in a fruit thus symbolize a hundred sons. Traditional Chinese medicine prescribes pomegranate to treat infertility in women, cough, indigestion, and other ailments. The Chinese pharmacopoeia mentions pomegranate.
Pomegranate is one of the seven staple foods the ancient Jewish people consumed. It was believed that those who ate the fruit after thanking God for the land’s goodness would receive unique blessings. According to Jewish religious literature, the fruit has 613 seeds, equal to the 613 commandments of the Torah, illustrating its importance to the Hebrew people. It is a Jewish tradition to eat pomegranate during Rosh Hashanah.
Some Jewish scholars regard it as the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. The pomegranate appears as a holy symbol on ancient coins of Judea, and it symbolizes righteousness. A pair of decorative silver pomegranates adorn the place where Torah scrolls are kept. King Solomon used the pomegranate fruit in the design of his crown. The Bible refers to the sacred pomegranate of Exodus, the secular pomegranate of Deuteronomy, and the sensuous fruit of Solomon’s Song. The Quranic verses Surah 6:99 and 6:141 refer to grapes, olives, and pomegranates as valuable fruit trees.
Medicinal properties of pomegranate fruit
All parts of the fruit and plant are useful from a medicinal viewpoint. A decoction made from the seed is used to treat syphilis, and the juice is used to treat jaundice, diarrhea, nosebleeds, sore throats, coughs, urinary infections, digestive disorders, skin disorders, and arthritis. The fruit pulp and the seed are stomachic. Dried, pulverized flower buds relieve bronchitis. In Ayurvedic medicine, pomegranate is an antiparasitic blood tonic and remedy for aphthae, diarrhea, and ulcers. In Unani, pomegranate is a remedy for diabetes (Julie, 2008).
The sterols, steroids, cerebroside, lignin, and derivatives in pomegranates had remarkable antioxidant activities (Lansky & Newman, 2007). Studies indicate that pomegranates could be useful in treating cancer, osteoarthritis, and other diseases. Studies also show that pomegranate seeds might help rid the digestive system of fats, a property that could have its application in weight loss therapy.
Clinical research indicates that pomegranates might help prevent heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes when part of a healthy diet. Pomegranates have the potential to thin blood, increase blood flow to the heart, lower blood pressure, reduce plaque in the arteries, and bring down bad cholesterol levels while raising good cholesterol. Julie (2008) revealed that pomegranate juice could be used as a therapy for prostate cancer, particularly recurrent types. Other studies appear to validate these findings.
The juice helps with hyperlipidemia by decreasing cholesterol absorption and increasing fecal excretion by affecting the enzymes that aid cholesterol metabolism. Pomegranate juice is also reported to be effective in reducing hypertension by decreasing angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, reducing myocardial ischemia, and improving myocardial perfusion.
Pomegranate juice could help treat diabetes and atherogenesis through reduced oxidative stress. Other studies indicate a role of the fruit in treating periodontal disease and denture stomatitis. Other benefits may include combating bacterial infections, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, Alzheimer’s disease, and obesity.
Pomegranate fruit extracts are used extensively in skin care products, especially due to their anti-inflammatory properties. They also extend the life of fibroblasts, the cells responsible for producing collagen and elastin that build, strengthen, and support the skin. As collagen fibers break down, skin ages and wrinkles. Pomegranate oil stimulates collagen production and increases flexibility in the epidermis and dermis, thus slowing the formation of wrinkles.
Studies have shown that pomegranate seed oil helps ameliorate some forms of skin cancer, perhaps because of its antioxidant properties. The oil also helps control hyperpigmentation and enhances the topical effectiveness of sunscreen products.
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