NEWS: Pomegranate fruit shown to slow cartilage deterioration in osteoarthritis

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Public release date: 1-Sep-2005

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Case Western Reserve University

Pomegranate fruit shown to slow cartilage deterioration in

osteoarthritis

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 2005 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 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 a lot of 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.