title: Pomegranate seed oil: Effect on 3-nitropropionic acid-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells and elucidation of unsaturated fatty acids composition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Seed oils are used as cosmetics or topical treatment for wounds, allergy, dandruff, and other purposes. Natural antioxidants from plants were recently reported to delay the onset or progress of various neurodegenerative conditions. Over one thousand cultivars of Punica granatum (Punicaceae) are known and some are traditionally used to treat various ailments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The effect of pomegranate oil on 3-nitropropionic acid- (3-NP) induced cytotoxicity in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) neuronal cells was analyzed in this study. Furthermore, the analysis of unsaturated fatty acid composition of the seed oil of pomegranate by gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GC-MS study showed the presence of 6,9-octadecadiynoic acid (C18:2(6,9)) as a major component (60%) as 4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivative. The total extractable oil with light petroleum ether by Soxhlet from the dry seed of P. granatum was 4-6%. The oil analyzed for 48.90 ± 1.50 mg gallic acid equivalents/g of oil, and demonstrated radical-scavenging-linked antioxidant activities in various in vitro assays like the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl, % IP = 35.2 ± 0.9%), ABTS (2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), % IP 2.2 ± 0.1%), and β-carotene bleaching assay (% IP = 26 ± 3%), respectively, which could be due the possible role of one methylene interrupted diynoic acid system for its radical-scavenging/antioxidant properties of oil. The oil also reduced lipid peroxidation, suppressed reactive oxygen species, extracellular nitric oxide, lactate/pyruvate ratio, and lactase dehydrogenase generated by 3-NP- (100 mM) induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, and enhanced the levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants at 40 μg of gallic acid equivalents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The protective effect of pomegranate seed oil might be due to the ability of an oil to neutralize ROS or enhance the expression of antioxidant gene and the exact mechanism of action yet to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry , Natural Products Research Laboratory, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University , Al-Khod, Muscat , Oman.
authors.forename: Bushra N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Al-Sabahi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry , Natural Products Research Laboratory, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University , Al-Khod, Muscat , Oman.
authors.forename: Majekodunmi O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Fatope
authors.affiliation: b Department of Food Science and Nutrition , College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University , Al-Khod, Muscat , Oman.|c Ageing and Dementia Research Group , Sultan Qaboos University , Al-Khod, Muscat , Oman.
authors.forename: Musthafa Mohamed
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Essa
authors.affiliation: b Department of Food Science and Nutrition , College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University , Al-Khod, Muscat , Oman.|c Ageing and Dementia Research Group , Sultan Qaboos University , Al-Khod, Muscat , Oman.
authors.forename: Selvaraju
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subash
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry , Natural Products Research Laboratory, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University , Al-Khod, Muscat , Oman.
authors.forename: Saleh N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Al-Busafi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry , Natural Products Research Laboratory, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University , Al-Khod, Muscat , Oman.
authors.forename: Fatma S M
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Al-Kusaibi
authors.affiliation: d Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology , Annamalai University , Annamalai Nagar , India.
authors.forename: Thamilarasan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Manivasagam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000517:prevention & control; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D009850:Oman; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000032:analysis; D016877:Oxidants / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011422:Propionates / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D010080:Oxazoles; D016877:Oxidants; D010938:Plant Oils; D011422:Propionates; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C073957:6,9-linoleic acid; C057549:4,4-dimethyloxazoline; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid
keywords: 3-nitropropionic acid; Acetylenic fatty acid; Anti-oxidant; Lipid peroxidation; Neuro-protection; Oman; Pomegranate seed oil