Evaluation of the Cytotoxicity, Antibacterial, Antioxidant, and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Different Extracts of Punica granatum var. pleniflora

Punica granatum var. pleniflora (PGP) has been used for thousands of years as an effective agent to treat various types of diseases. However, there are a few new evidences addressing its therapeutic effects and related mechanisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects of ethanolic (ET), dichloromethane (DM), and ethyl acetate (EA) extracts of PGP.

ET, DM, and EA extracts of PGP were first prepared using maceration method. Total phenolic content (TPC) of PGP was then assessed by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and its antioxidant capacity was determined by DPPH and FRAP methods. Furthermore, in-vitro antibacterial activity of the PGP extracts was performed. The effect of PGP on the viability of J774A.1, HUVECs, HT29, and MCF-7 cell lines was evaluated by the MTT assay. The anti-inflammatory effect of PGP was assessed in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated J774A.1 cell line using qRT-PCR method.

EA extract contained the highest phenolic content (383.3 ± 9.1 mg gallic acid/g extract) and showed the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 36.5 ± 2.3 µg/mL). PGP at concentration of 15 µg/mL significantly decreased the expression of COX-2 (ET) and iNOS (ET and EA) in J774A.1 cell. Also, EA showed the highest antibacterial activity. Furthermore, the PGP extracts decreased the viability of all tested cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. As indicated by IC50, EA demonstrated the lowest IC50 for all tested cell lines.

According to the results, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects of PGP might be driven by its phenolic compounds highly presented in the EA extract.