casemed.case.edu
Pomegranate fruit shown to slow cartilage deterioration in
osteoarthritis
CLEVELAND (Sept.
1, 2005) – Pomegranate fruit extracts can block enzymes that contribute to
osteoarthritis, according to a Case Western Reserve University School of
Medicine study published in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
The study
looked at the ability of an extract of pomegranate fruit against Interleukin-1b
(IL-1b), a pro-inflammatory protein molecule that plays a key role in cartilage
degradation in osteoarthritis. Current treatments for osteoarthritis – which
affects 20 million people nationwide, according to the National Institutes of
Health – offer limited effectiveness and do little to slow joint destruction
and disease progression.
“This has
generated considerable interest in the identification and development of new
approaches and reagents to treat and inhibit, if not abolish, the progress of
the disease,” said Tariq M. Haqqi,
Ph.D., professor of medicine at Case.
“Arthritis is
one of the foremost diseases for which patients seek herbal or non-traditional medicine
treatments. However, all the extracts and herbs have not yet been
scientifically evaluated for their efficacy and safety. Indeed, some of them
may even interfere with the current treatments,” Haqqi
said. “Therefore, careful use of supplements and herbal medicines during early
stages of disease or treatment may be made to limit the disease progression.”
Plant-based flavonoids found in fruits, leaves and vegetables have
attracted much attention for their beneficial health effects in various
diseases. Pomegranate, in particular, has been found to possess antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory properties that have potential therapeutic benefits in a
variety of diseases. The Case study demonstrated for the first time the ability
of pomegranate fruit extracts to slow the deterioration of human cartilage.
“It has been
revered through the ages for its medicinal properties,” said Haqqi. “Studies in animal models of cancer suggest that
pomegranate fruit extract consumption may be anticarcinogenic,
whereas studies in mice and humans indicate that it may also have a potential
therapeutic and chemopreventive adjuvant effect in
cardiovascular disorders.”
A bonus with
the native Persian fruit is that its antioxidant constituents are rapidly
absorbed by the body and are non-toxic.
Using tissue
samples of human cartilage affected by osteoarthritis, researchers added a
water extract of pomegranate fruit to the
culture using a well-established in vitro model. The findings showed a new
activity for pomegranate fruit extract – namely cartilage protection – in
addition to its previously discovered antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties.
The IL-1b protein molecules create an
overproduction of inflammatory molecules including matrix metalloproteases
(MMP), which are tightly regulated enzymes necessary for tissue remodeling.
When overproduced in a disease state, such as osteoarthritis, they degrade the
cartilage resulting in joint damage and destruction.
The Case study
results indicate that pomegranate fruit extracts inhibit the overproduction of
MMP enzymes in human cartilage cells.
“This suggests
that consumption of pomegranate fruit extract may help in protecting cartilage
from the effects of IL-1b by suppressing cartilage degradation in OA,” Haqqi said.
More studies
are needed to determine the absorption rate of pomegranate fruit extracts in
the joints. Future plans include animal model studies in osteoarthritis to
determine whether the fruit extract promotes cartilage repair, and whether it
can also be effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis.
This research
was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health National
Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and from the
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