Natural antioxidants products are widely distributed in food and medicinal plants. These natural antioxidants, especially polyphenols, exhibit a wide range of biological activities including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-atherosclerosis activities. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a rich source of polyphenolic components. The purpose of this study was to characterize the phenolic composition and flavonoids and anthocyanin content of different parts (peel and aril) of the Sefri variety of pomegranate. Our results showed that Peel extract was richer in these compounds than that of the Arils, especially in Punicalagin (A and B). DPPH free radical scavenging, reducing power (FRAP), β-carotene bleaching, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays revealed a greater dose-dependent activity of pomegranate peel phenolic extract (PPPE) compared to pomegranate aril phenolic extract (PAPE). PPPE was also more potent than PAPE concerning its ability to inhibit conjugated diene formation and to reduce α-tocopherol disappearance induced by CuSO4-mediated LDL peroxidation. Interestingly, both extracts (PPPE and PAPE) significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation and the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in stressed J82 human bladder cancer cells. These results reflect the protective effects that this Moroccan variety of pomegranate can provide against the development of metabolic disorder, cancer, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease. Given these properties, further studies should be undertaken to investigate possible applications of Sefri pomegranate extracts in the fields of food preservation and health supplements.

Food scientists have studied the many health benefits of polyphenols against pernicious human diseases. Evidence from scientific studies has shown that earlier healthy lifestyle changes, particularly in nutrition patterns, can reduce the burden of age-related diseases. In this context, a large number of plant-derived components belonging to the class of polyphenols have been reported to possess neuroprotective benefits. In this review, we examined studies on the effect of dietary polyphenols, notably from Punica granatum L., on neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s disease, which is symptomatically characterized by impairment of cognitive functions. Clinical trials are in favor of the role of some polyphenols in maintaining neuronal homeostasis and attenuating clinical presentations of the disease. However, discrepancies in study design often bring inconsistent findings on the same component and display differences in their effectiveness due to interindividual variability, bioavailability in the body after administration, molecular structures, cross-blood-brain barrier, and signaling pathways such as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Based on preclinical and clinical trials, it appears that pomegranate may prove valuable in treating neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Therefore, due to the lack of information on human clinical trials, future in-depth studies, focusing on human beings, of several bioactive components of pomegranate’s polyphenols and their synergic effects should be carried out to evaluate their curative treatment.