석류(Punica granatum)의 Phytoestrogen 및 항암 활성 성분

Punica granatum, L. (Pomegranate) has 613 seeds which accidentally corresponds to the 613 commandments in the Bible. Accordingly, the fruit has been worshipped by the Jewish and other religious people from the ancient. Pomegranate's seed, peel and juice contain a variety of ethnomedical components so much as the sum of three kinds of other common fruits. The number of published papers related to the pomegranate in recent 7 years flourished 7 times more than before at the bases of Medline record. Since the containments of estrogen, as $17{\alpha}-estradiol,\;17{\beta}-estradiol$, estrone, and estradiol, etc., in pomegranate have been reported, public interests and commercial values of pomegranate arose considerably. The report was disproved later, however, merits of this fruit remained yet; clinical efficacy for preventing and remediating cancers including breast and prostate cancers by oral administration of the juice, seed oil, and peel extract is still believed to be true. In this review, target components of pomegranate such as antioxidants, anticancers, antiestrogens and ethnomedical components were analyzed and discussed along with examining its pharmaceutical efficacy and prescription to postmenopausal lesion, cardiosclerosis, cosmetic beautification, viral and allergic symptoms, and diabetes mellitus, etc.