What is ellagic acid?

Ellagic acid is a natural phenol antioxidant found in numerous fruits and vegetables. The antiproliferative and antioxidant properties of ellagic acid have prompted research into its potential health benefits, but it has been identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a fake cancer cure.
Ellagic acid is known for its antioxidant properties. That means it removes toxins from your body and protects against harmful molecules known as free radicals. Plants also produce this antioxidant compound as a defense mechanism against infection and pests.

Research on benefits of ellagic acid

Ellagic acid in pomegranate is the most active and abundant, so our ellagic acid is an extract of pomegranate, it has antioxidant, anti-mutagenic and anti-cancer properties. Ellagic acid reduces the toxicity of rats caused by alcohol by improving body weight, restoring antioxidant status, regulating micronutrients and reducing lipid levels in the blood.
Ellagic acid is a research drug, and the therapeutic effects of ellagic acid mainly involve antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects.We tested the whitening effect of pomegranate extract -ellagic acid in peels containing 90% ellagic acid. Ellagic acid shows inhibitory activity on mushroom tyrosinase in vitro, and the inhibitory effect of the extract is equivalent to that of the known whitening agent arbutin. Ellagic acid can also inhibit skin pigmentation induced by ultraviolet rays on the back of brown guinea pigs when taken orally. Ellagic acid reduces the number of DOPA-positive melanocytes in the epidermis of guinea pigs exposed to ultraviolet light. These results indicate that the whitening effect of Ellagic acid may be due to the inhibition of melanocyte proliferation of melanocytes and the synthesis of melanin by tyrosinase.

Besides, ellagic acid can protect skin from external damage and has high anti-oxidant effect, that is to say, It has excellent effect on blocking melanin reaction in melanogenic cells and has strong antioxidant effect.

Overview:

Pomegranate (latin name: Punica granatum L) belongs to Pomegranate family, is a small deciduous tree or deciduous shrub.Every part of pomegranate is rich in various nutrients, including carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and varied necessary amino acid and micro elements, The extract from every part of pomegranate are widely applied in the development of cosmetics, health care products and food processing field.

Physico-chemical Properties:

Ellagic acid not only exists in the form of dissociation, but exists in condensed form (tannin, glucoside). The color reaction of ellagic acid and Ferric chloride is blue, and it appears as yellow once react with sulphuric acid, Greiss—meger reaction is positive, and it is easy to bind with metal cations, such as Ca2 & M. Pure ellagic acid is a kind of yellow acicular crystals, The melting point (pyridine) is more than 360℃, slightly soluble in water, ethanol, and fully soluble in alkali, pyridine and Dimethyl sulfoxide, not soluble in ether.

Functions:

Ellagic acid is acknowledged as one of the effective skin whitening ingredient by Dermatology. It belongs to polyphenolic substance, widely exist in varied natural plant and fruit. It is used for skin whitening, inhibit tyrosinase activity and block melanin production, thus it has the function of skin whitening and fading away spots.