ArticlePeerJ2021
Punicalagin, a pomegranate compound, induces apoptosis and autophagy in acute leukemia.
Article in PeerJ, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluation of Punicalagin as a multi‑targeted therapeutic agent against endometrial cancer.International journal of oncology · 2026Article
- The Neuroprotective Effect of a Waste Byproduct Obtained From Pomegranate (Punica granatum).Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Review
- Punicalagin Inhibits the Growth and Proliferation of Ovarian Epithelial Adenocarcinoma Cells Via Apoptosis and Autophagic Cell Death.Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 2026Article
- Nano-formulated pomegranate extracts with dual cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity: molecular docking and mechanistic insights into leukemia cell targeting.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026Article
- Disruption of the nucleocapsid-RNA condensation by punicalagin is a broad-spectrum antiviral approach.Fundamental research · 2026Article
- Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of Ellagitannins: A Comprehensive Review of Key Representatives.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Potential Application of Plant By-Products in Biomedicine: From Current Knowledge to Future Opportunities.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Exploring Punicalagin Potential Against Cancers: A Comprehensive Review.Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- The Role of Pomegranate (Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- The Punicalagin Compound Mitigates Bronchial Epithelial Cell Senescence Induced by Cigarette Smoke Extract through the PAR2/mTOR Pathway.Current medicinal chemistry · 2025Article
- Anticancer effects of pomegranate-derived peptide PG2 on CDK2 and miRNA-339-5p-mediated apoptosis via extracellular vesicles in acute leukemia.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Review
- Effect of punicalagin on the autophagic cell death in triple-negative breast cancer cells.Toxicological research · 2024Article
- Neuroprotective effects of punicalagin and/or micronized zeolite clinoptilolite on manganese-induced Parkinson's disease in a rat model: Involvement of multiple pathways.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2024Article
- Expression ofFrontiers in oncology · 2024Article
- Progress in the study of autophagy-related proteins affecting resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in leukemia.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2024Review
- Punicalagin attenuates ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction via regulating the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway.Pharmaceutical biology · 2023Article
- Anti-leukemic effect of menthol, a peppermint compound, on induction of apoptosis and autophagy.PeerJ · 2023Article
- Punicalagin protects against the development of pancreatic injury and insulitis in rats with induced T1DM by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.Molecular and cellular biochemistry · 2022Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPunicalagin is the major phenolic compound found in pomegranate peels. It has several reported medical benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. The present study investigated the anti-leukemic effects and the molecular mechanism of punicalagin on NB4 and MOLT-4 leukemic cell lines.
methodsLeukemic cells were treated with punicalagin and cell viability was determined using MTS assay. Apoptosis and autophagy were analyzed by flow cytometry using Annexin V-FITC/PI and anti-LC3/FITC antibodies staining, respectively. Apoptotic and autophagic mRNA expression were determined using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. STITCH bioinformatics tools were used to predict the interaction between punicalagin and its proposed target proteins.
resultsResults indicated that punicalagin decreased NB4 and MOLT-4 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Punicalagin, in combination with daunorubicin, exhibited synergistic cytotoxic effects. Punicalagin induced apoptosis through the upregulation of caspase-3/-8/-9, Bax and the downregulation of Bcl-2 expression. Punicalagin also promoted autophagy via the downregulation of mTOR and the upregulation of ULK1 expression. Cyclooxygenase-2 and toll-like receptor 4 were found to be involved in punicalagin-induced cell death in punicalagin-targeted protein interactions.
conclusionsThese results suggest that punicalagin exerts cytotoxic activities by suppressing proliferation and promoting apoptosis and autophagy by activating the caspase cascade, altering Bax and Bcl-2, and regulating autophagy via mTOR/ULK1 signaling.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.