Pomegranate extract induces cell cycle arrest and alters cellular phenotype of human pancreatic cancer cells.

BACKGROUND Pomegranate extract (PE) is a standardized whole-fruit extract of pomegranate, a fruit with known anticancer properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS PANC-1 and AsPC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells were used as in vitro models to test the effects of PE. RESULTS PE treatment induced cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell proliferation in PANC-1 cells. PE treatment increased the proportion of cells lacking CD44 and CD24 expression, which are associated with increased tumor-initiating ability, demonstrating that PE altered cell phenotype. PE was more effective in inhibiting the proliferation of PANC-1 cells than the clinically used dose of paclitaxel. Similar results were obtained in the AsPC-1 cell line. Individual pomegranate phytochemicals were only modestly effective in inhibiting cell proliferation, suggesting that unidentified phytochemicals are responsible for the inhibitory effect of PE. CONCLUSION These data suggest that PE is a promising candidate for further preclinical testing for treatment of human pancreatic cancer.