Antioxidant and antitumor activities of Pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extracts

Abstract

Antioxidant-rich fractions were extracted from pomegranate (Punica granatum) peels and seeds using ethyl acetate, methanol, methanol, hexan, chloroform and water. The extracts were screened for their potential as antioxidant using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) model systems. The methanol extract of peels showed 83 and 81% antioxidant activity at 50 ppm using the DPPH model systems. Similarly, the methanol extract of seeds showed 22.6 and 23.2% antioxidant activity at 100 ppm using the DPPH model systems. As the methanol, ethanol and water extract of pomegranate peel showed the highest antioxidant activity among all of the extracts; it was selected for testing of its effect on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells (EACC).