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Pomegranate extract could slow cartilage loss in arthritis

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Pomegranate extract could slow cartilage loss in arthritis these novel results indicate that PFE or compounds derived from it may inhibit cartilage degradation in OA and may also be a useful nutritive supplement for maintaining joint integrity and function.

Pomegranate fruit extracts have been shown to block enzymes that contribute to cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis, a condition that currently has little perspective for treatment.

A team from the Case Western Reserve University found that a water extract of pomegranate fruit inhibited stimulation of certain enzymes in human cartilage cells affected by osteoarthritis.

Production of these enzymes, matrix metalloproteases, is speeded up by the pro-inflammatory protein interleukin-1b (IL-1b) during osteoarthritis, leading to cartilage degradation and damage to joints.

Writing in this month's issue of the Journal of Nutrition, Tariq M. Haqqi and colleagues said the findings suggest that consumption of pomegranate fruit extract “may help in protecting cartilage from the effects of IL-1b by suppressing cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis”.

However the findings offer significant hope for the huge and growing numbers of people affected by arthritis.

"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 Dr Haqqi.

He added that arthritis is one of the foremost diseases for which patients seek herbal or traditional medicine treatments.

If future studies prove positive, pomegranate fruit extract could be successfully used in supplements or foods as it is already safely consumed in the form of juice.

In addition, the fruit's antioxidants are rapidly absorbed by the body.

Animal studies have previously suggested that pomegranate fruit extract consumption may also be anticarcinogenic, while human trials have indicated benefits for the heart.

Reference Ahmed S, Wang N, Hafeez BB, Cheruvu VK, Haqqi TM. Punica granatum L. Extract Inhibits IL-1{beta}-Induced Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases by Inhibiting the Activation of MAP Kinases and NF-{kappa}B in Human Chondrocytes In Vitro. J Nutr. 2005 Sep;135(9):2096-2102.