Patel, P: Why - Pomegranate

Fruits of pomegranate - Punica granatum Linn(Punicaceae) is a highly reputed drug for its therapeutic properties of various parts like its juice (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory), flower (antidiarrhoal, antidysentric), leaves (anti-conjunctivitis), fruit rind (anthelminitic, antibacterial) and seed (anticancer). Classical and other literature mentioned two or three varieties of fruits varying in their size, shape, colour, taste etc. but none of these varieties have been found to be investigated so far. To judge their qualities their investigation is needed to be carried out separately. Hence to begin with seeds without fleshy portion which are reputed in cancer and contraceptive properties were selected for the present investigation. Cultivated two varieties commonly known as Arakta (red coloured seeds) and Ganesh (whitish coloured seeds) were investigated in detail.