Antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities in commercial and homemade pomegranate molasses in Lebanon

International audiencePomegranate fruit and its derived products are rich sources of bioactive compounds. They have many biological activities. Pomegranate molasses (PM) is a thick, traditional Middle Eastern syrup used in many recipes for Lebanese and international cuisines. It is a highly nutritious product which makes it of great interest. The purpose of this study was to assess the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties of homemade and commercial PM consumed in Lebanon using samples collected from households in rural areas (n = 4) and the market (n = 28). The objectives of this study were to determine their total phenolic content using the Follin-Ciocalteu method, their total flavonoid content using aluminum chloride method, their antioxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging as well as ferrous ion chelating assays and their anti-diabetic activity using α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities with acarbose, a known anti-diabetic drug, used as the standard reference. Homemade PM samples exhibited a higher antioxidant activity than commercial samples, with the most active homemade PM sample having IC50 values of 0.09 mg/mL (DPPH radical scavenging assay) and 46.78% ferrous ion chelating assay). Homemade PM samples also showed higher anti-diabetic activity than commercial samples, with the most active homemade PM sample having an IC50 of 0.63 mg/mL (α-amylase inhibitory activity) and of 0.41 mg/mL (α-glucosidase inhibitory activity) and being almost as active as acarbose with both enzymes (1.5 times).Significant inverse strong/moderate correlations were observed between total phenolic content/total flavonoid content and the IC50 value of DPPH radical scavenging assay, indicating positive associations between total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity. In addition, significant negative moderate correlations were observed between total phenolic/flavonoid contents and α-amylase inhibitory activity, indicating positive associations between total phenolic and flavonoid contents and anti-diabetic activity

Phytochemical composition, biological activities and antioxidant potential of pomegranate fruit, juice and molasses: A review

International audiencePomegranate fruit and its derived products (seeds, juice and mollassess) have been traditionally used in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and arthritis. It has also been widely used in folk medicine as a remedy for conditions of the digestive tract, including parasitic worm infections, ulcers, diarrhea and aphthae. The pomegranate health benefits have been attributed to its bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins. These bioactive compounds were shown to have antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-diarrheal and neuro-protective properties. These pomegranate products are nowadays considered superfood and commonly used in many recipes in international cuisines. They are highly nutritious products rich in secondary metabolites with potent biological activities, which makes their study of great interest to researchers. The current review aimed to provide an up-to-date summary of findings of studies done to investigate the phytochemical composition biological activities, particularly antioxidant property of pomegranate and its products most importantly pomegranate molasses. In conclusion, this review shed the light on the rich phytochemical composition and many potent biological activities especially the antioxidant potential of pomegranate and its products

Clinical outcomes and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with solid tumors and paraneoplastic syndromes.

Patients with paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) are excluded from clinical trials involving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) due to safety concerns. Moreover, real-world data on efficacy and safety is scarce. In this retrospective study, data were collected on patients with PNS and solid tumors receiving ICI between 2015 and 2022 at nine institutions. Patients were classified into: Cohort 1 (pre-existing PNS before ICI initiation), cohort 2 (PNS during ICI treatment), and cohort 3 (PNS after ICI discontinuation). Patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (mNSCLC) from cohort 1 were matched to patients who were PNS-free at each institution up to a 1:3 ratio for age, sex, type of ICI, use of concurrent chemotherapy, and number of lines of systemic therapy prior to ICI initiation. Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess overall survival (OS) and time-to-next treatment (TTNT). Among 109 patients with PNS treated with ICIs, median age at ICI initiation was 67 years (IQR: 58-74). The most represented cancer type was NSCLC (n=39, 36%). In cohort 1 (n=55), PNS exacerbations occurred in 16 (29%) patients with median time to exacerbation after ICI of 1.1 months (IQR: 0.7-3.3). Exacerbation or de novo PNS prompted temporary/permanent interruption of ICIs in 14 (13%) patients. For cohort 2 (n=16), median time between ICI initiation and de novo PNS was 1.2 months (IQR: 0.4-3.5). Treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) occurred in 43 (39%) patients. Grade ≥3 trAEs occurred in 18 (17%) patients. PNS-directed immunosuppressive therapy was required in 55 (50%) patients. We matched 18 patients with mNSCLC and PNS (cohort 1) to 40 without PNS, treated with ICIs. There was no significant difference in OS or TTNT between patients with mNSCLC with and without PNS, although a trend was seen towards worse outcomes in patients with PNS. TrAEs occurred in 6/18 (33%) and 14/40 (35%), respectively. Grade ≥3 trAEs occurred in 4 (22%) patients with PNS and 7 (18%) patients without PNS. Exacerbations of pre-existing PNS occurred in 29% of patients treated with ICIs and both exacerbations and de novo PNS occur early in the ICI course. TrAE from ICIs were similar between patients with and without PNS. Our data suggest that pre-existing PNS should not preclude consideration of ICI therapy although patients may not derive the same clinical benefit compared with patients without PNS