DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs:

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is grown in Iran from ancient times and a high level of diversity of this fruit is present in this country. Clear identification of pomegranate genotypes is a valuable task for different purposes, especially for breeding works. RAPD markers were used to study 24 genotypes, some of them having similar names but collected from two places. DNA was extracted from leaf samples and a number of 113 decamer primers were tested on them, among which 27 showed good amplification and produced 158 polymorphic bands. Cluster analysis using Jaccard's similarity coefficient and UPGMA method divided these genotypes into 8 sub-clusters at a distance of 0.64 on the dendrogram. Genotypes with similar names did not show a high similarity and scattered into different subclusters. Geographic origin of genotypes affected the clustering to a high extent, while characteristics such as fruit color or taste did not show prominent effect. The observed variation proved the richness of pomegranate genetic resources in Iran. Also RAPD markers performed as a suitable technique for pomegranate genetic studies.

Origin and occurrence
The pomegranate comes from Asia, but is now much cultivated or grows wild everywhere in the subtropics and tropics.

Ethnobotanical and general use

Nutritional use
Marmalade or a syrup are made from the sarcotesta of the seeds. Seeds are also eaten fresh. The subacid pulp makes a refreshing drink (grenadine).

Medical use
The drug cortex granati corresponding to the dried bark of stem, branches and roots contains alkaloids (pelletierine and granatonine) and has anthelmintic and taenifuge effects. It is furthermore used for intermittent fever, diarrhoea and night sweat. The sap of the seeds is applied for afflictions of the throat.

Chemical contents
Alkaloids (Pelletierine and granatonine), ellagic tannins, organic acids, estrone (in seeds).

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Uses: ound healing, cancer, local pain, diarrhea, intestinal infection, uterine infection, throat, flu, inflammation in the throat, inflammation, rheumatism.                                                 

Origin: Belize, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hondura, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, South Africa, United States.      

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Root: Fresh root-bark for a vermifuge.

Stem: In Guyana, a decoction of the boiled bark is drunk to instantly relieve diarrhoea.

Fruit: Unripe fruit is employed to relieve diarrhoea, but is less effective than the bark preparation. Rind of fruit in a detersive gargle, or the rind in an infusion drunk for diarrhoea and stomach problems.

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Origin: Native to temperate and tropical Asia.

Pharmacological Activities: Anthelmintic, Antibacterial, Anticancer/ Antineoplastic, Antidiabetic/ Hypoglycaemic, Antidiarrhoeal, Antifertility, Antifungal, Anti-inflammatory, Antimalarial, Antioxidant, Antiviral, Gastroprotective, Hepatoprotective, Hypolipidaemic, Immunomodulatory, Neuroprotective, Antiatherogenic, Wound healing, Larvicidal and Molluscicidal.
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Range. Southeastern Europe to South Asia. Also naturalized, and widespread in cultivation.

Uses
Fruit: Used as an anthelmintic and astringent.
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Origin

Native to Iran; but cultivated throughout India.

Action:

Rind of fruit—astringent, stomachic, digestive. Used for diarrhoea, dysentery, colitis, dyspepsia and uterine disorders.

Leaf—used in stomatitis (recommended by The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India).

Fresh juice of fruit—refrigerant, cosive, antiemetic; given as an adjuvant in diarrhoea, dyspepsia, biliousness, inflammations of the stomach, palpitation, excessive thirst and fevers.

Bark of stem and root—anthelmintic, febrifuge. Given for night sweats.

Rind of fruit, bark of stem and root— antidiarrhoeal.

Powdered flower buds—used in bronchitis.

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Origin

Jamaica

Folk medicinal uses

The fruit rind and root bark of pomegranate are well-known tapeworm remedies and are so used in Jamaica. In this connection the following remedy lor vomiting sickness is of some interest:. "Dry. parch and grind the fruit skin: mix it with ground dry fowl gizzard and white flour." The mixture is made into a porridge which is eaten. The fruit skin is also boiled to make tea which is taken lor stomach.ache. This may be correlated with its use in Africa for dysentery. diarrhoea. colitis and stomach-ache. The rind is very astringent. Containing some 28 per cent tannin as glycosidal tannic acid. mucilage and perhaps some resin. It has in the past been used to treat leucorrhoea. Sloane gives the leaves beaten with oil of roses as a headache application. The flowers. which are used by the Hausas as a vermifuge and have been used as a tonic, astringent and gargle, contain an anthocyanin. "punicin" which is very similar to pelargonine.

PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Corteza de la raíz, corteza del tronco, flores, hojas, cáscaras del fruto.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Contra las lombrices (corteza de la raíz); astringente, contra la diarrea (flores); en cataplasmas contra las inflamaciones y úlceras (hojas); antidiarreico, contra la tenia (cáscara del fruto); para curar boqueras y grietas de los pechos (cáscara de fruto y corteza del tronco).

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Corteza de la raíz: sales minerales (12-15%), principalmente oxalatocálcico; abundantes taninos de tipo elagitanino (20%), alcaloides (0,7%), principalmente peletierina, de tipo piperidínico. Otros alcaloides relacionados son isopeletierina, n-metil-peletierina y pseudopeletierina, ésta última derivada de la tropinona. La corteza del fruto es rica en taninos hidrolizables, entre ellos punicalagina, punicalina y ácido elágico; en cambio no contiene alcaloides. El jugo del fruto es rico en antocianósidos: 3-glucósidos y 3,5-diglucósidos de delfinidina, cianidina y pelargonina. Contiene además ácidos orgánicos, como cítrico (1g/l) y ascórbico (7 mg/l).

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Uruguay. 

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Enfermedad o síntoma
Diarrea

Parte utilizada
Cáscara del fruto

Forma de preparación
Infusión con
maicena

Modo de administración
Vía oral

Origen
Tucumán, Argentina
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Toxicidad
Embarazo, lactancia, niños menores de cinco años y personas depresivas o nerviosas.
Parte utilizada:
Planta completa, cáscara de la fruta y corteza de la raíz.
Propiedades:
Toda la planta es astringente, tónico, vermífugo y digestivo.
La cáscara de la fruta y la corteza de la raíz son antidiarreicos y vermífugos.
Indicaciones:
La cáscara seca de la fruta esta indicada en casos de inapetencias, diarreas y parasitosis, y en uso externo para lavados vaginales. La cáscara de la raíz se utiliza como antihelmíntico, especialmente contra la tenia solitaria.

1) GONZALEZ, Matías ; LOMBARDO, Atilio ; VALLARINO, Aida. Plantas de la medicina vulgar del Uruguay. Montevideo : Talleres Gráficos, 1937, p. 67.

2) Fitoterapia : vademecum de prescripción: plantas medicinales. 3ª. ed. Barcelona : Masson, 1999, p. 274.

3) ZAMANIA, Z, et al. Evaluation of RAPD markers for assessment of genetic variation among pomegranate genotypes. Acta Horticulturae. 2009, vol.818, p.221-228 .

4) South American medicinal plants : botany, remedial properties, and general use / I. Roth, H. Lindorf. Berlin ; New York : Springer, c2002. -- p. 492.

5) Geraldini , Isanete, Journal of Ethnopharmacology v. 173, 2015 . -- p. 383-423

6) A guide to medicinal plants / Hwee Ling, Koh; Tung Kian, Chua; Chay Hoon, Tan. Singapore:  World vScientific Public Co. Pte. Ltd., 2009. p 289 p.

7) Ceballos, Sergio J.; Perea Mario C./ Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas, vol 13, no 1, 2014. - p. 47 - 68

8) DeFilipps, Robert A.; Krupnick, Gary A. / PhytoKeys, v. 102. - - p. 1 - 314,  2018.

9) Khare, C.P./ Indian Medicinal Plants. -- Nueva Dheli: Springer, 2007 . - p 529.

10) Asprey, G.F; Phylis Thornton/ Medicinal plants of Jamaica. Parts III & IV. – p. 60.

11) María Stella Cáceres A.; et al./ MANUAL DE USO DE HIERBAS MEDICINALES
DEL PARAGUAY/ Fundación Celestina de Pérez Almada con apoyo de Unesco Montevideo. p. 47.