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.