Mechanistic Insights into Punicalagin's Cytotoxic Effects on Lung Cancer Cells: A Review

Lung cancer continues to be one of the primary causes of cancer-related deaths globally, emphasizing the importance of developing novel therapeutic interventions. Despite advancements in conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy face challenges like drug resistance and toxicity, prompting interest in natural compounds. Punicalagin, a polyphenolic compound derived from Punica granatum (Pomegranate) has demonstrated a significant anticancer property. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of punicalagin on lung cancer cells. It explores multiple mechanisms through which punicalagin exerts its cytotoxic activity, including apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and oxidative stress modulation while selectively targeting cancer cells. Also includes the combination of punicalagin with the standard therapies which may enhance efficacy and reduce side effects. Despite its potential, punicalagin faces challenges such as low bioavailability, and variability in response limiting its clinical application. However, this review should focus on elucidating its molecular mechanisms, evaluating its in-vivo efficacy and safety, improving its pharmacokinetic properties, conducting preclinical and clinical studies, and exploring synergistic effects with conventional lung cancer treatments. Also, this review presents extensive data on punicalagin’s potential in lung cancer treatment, encouraging the way for further research into its clinical use.