The Institute of Bioeconomy of the National Research Council (IBE-CNR) and the University of Pisa have recently carried out a study that led to an important findings about pomegranate, which has long been known for its beneficial properties.
The research shows that the extracts from pomegranate peels and seeds, completely soluble in water and obtained through an innovative, green, efficient technique with the possibility of industrial production, could offer strong cardiovascular protection fromacute and chronic hypertension.
The study involved the oral experimental administration in spontaneously hypertensive rats. “After oral administration, the results have demonstrated good intestinal bioaccessibility and the ability to effectively counteract the increase in pressure. In addition to this, the administration of pomegranate extracts has shown important effects at a cardiac level. These findings suggest the possibility of developing different mechanisms, with a broader spectrum, with respect to cardiovascular protection,” said Lara Testai from the University of Pisa.
The scientific community has immediately shown great interest in this study that was published in the journal Nutrients, since it could pave the way to potential medical applications, as well as encouraging a lower impact of pomegranate waste on the environment, from a sustainability perspective. “Until now, the recovery and valorisation of these by-products have been hindered by the lack of an adequate extraction technique, capable of returning a product that is completely soluble in water and safe for the organism. In fact, the quality and properties of the extracts of natural products, including pomegranate by-products, also depend on the extraction technique. Hydrodynamic cavitation, which has already proven successful with citrus fruit and forestry by-products, allowed for the extraction of a large amount of pomegranate peels and seeds in water alone, at low temperature and in a few minutes, with very limited energy consumption, resulting in a completely soluble product,” explained Francesco Meneguzzo, CNR-IBE researcher.
