The Juice of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.): Recent Studies on Its Bioactivities

Punica granatum L. (pomegranate) is one of the oldest and known fruits native to Iran and surrounding areas and today widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. There is a great interest worldwide in this fruit because of its potential health-promoting properties. Numerous studies investigating the health benefits of pomegranate juice have greatly increased interest in this red fruit. Pomegranate juice is a rich source of polyphenols with interesting antioxidant properties. Several in vitro and in vivo studies suggested that pomegranate juice possess antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antihypertensive, and antiatherogenic effects. Thus, promising results against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other diseases have been reported. This chapter summarizes the most recent (2012–17) in vitro and in vivo studies highlighting the potential role of pomegranate juice as functional beverage.