Nutraceuticals, as the polyphenols found in pomegranates, have been recently discovered to have antioxidant and anticarcinogenic characteristics. Polyphenols display antioxidant and prooxidant properties. Cancer cells are susceptible to the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by pomegranate prooxidants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the toxicity of pomegranate toward cancer cells could be attributed to ellagic acid (EA), a simple polyphenol produced when pomegranate extract is hydrolyzed. We sought to determine (i) whether the EA contributes to the prooxidant behavior of pomegranate extract and (ii) the mode of cancer cell death. We have used the neutral red assay and human oral carcinoma HSC-2 cells as target cells. Cancer cells were killed in a dose- and time-dependent manner but the mode of toxicity was independent of oxidative stress, suggesting that EA itself did not induce cell death through the generation of ROS.

Proapoptotic effects of ellagic acid, a metabolite of pomegranate extract, on human oral carcinoma HSC-2 cells

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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