Pomegranate in Cancer Therapy: A Review of Anticancer Potential, Mechanisms and Clinical Challenges in Breast, Colon and Prostate Cancers

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a plant that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and that has gain popularity in recent years as an anticancer dietary supplement. For the purpose of this review, a comprehensive literature search was performed to gather articles published between 1993 and 2021 and describing the therapeutic potential of pomegranate fruit extracts, juice, and seed oil on breast, colon, and prostate cancer. The results of the studies highlighted the fact that while the consumption of pomegranate has been associated with a number of beneficial effects on cancer, it still remains unclear which chemicals are responsible for such effects. It is hoped that this review will encourage further investigations on pomegranate in order to identify the compounds (or their metabolites) responsible for biological activity and unravel their mode(s) of action at the molecular level.