Can dietary polyphenols, specifically ellagitannins from pomegranate extract, modify gene expression in colon tissues of colorectal cancer patients?
J Nutr Biochem · 2017 · PMID 28183047 · DOI 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.01.014
Pomegranate extract may modulate gene expression in colon tissues of colorectal cancer patients, but in vivo effects are complex and differ from in vitro observations.
The question
Can dietary polyphenols, specifically ellagitannins from pomegranate extract, modify gene expression in colon tissues of colorectal cancer patients?
What they tested
Ellagitannins, ellagic acid, and their urolithin metabolites can modify gene expression in colon cells, suggesting they might have a similar effect in human colon tissues.
How they did it
Thirty-five colorectal cancer patients were supplemented daily with 900 mg of an ellagitannin-containing pomegranate extract for 5-35 days. Gene expression in normal and cancerous colon tissues was evaluated before (biopsies) and after (surgical specimens) supplementation. Tissues from 10 control patients (no supplementation) were also analyzed to account for interindividual variability and the impact of the experimental protocol on gene expression.
What they found
The study found a large, gene- and tissue-specific interindividual variability and an impact of the experimental protocol on gene expression, with some genes induced (MYC, CD44, CDKN1A, CTNNB1), some repressed (CASP3), and others unaffected (KRAS). Despite these issues, pomegranate extract consumption was significantly associated with a counterbalance effect in the expression of CD44, CTNNB1, CDKN1A, EGFR, and TYMs. These effects were not linked to urolithin metabotypes or levels of urolithins and ellagic acid in colon tissues.
What it means
The intake of an ellagitannin-containing pomegranate extract modulated the impact of the experimental protocol on gene expression in a gene- and tissue-specific manner in colorectal cancer patients. However, these in vivo effects did not reproduce previously observed in vitro effects, highlighting the challenges in translating in vitro findings to in vivo human studies.
Limitations
The study observed significant gene- and tissue-specific interindividual variability and an impact of the experimental protocol on gene expression, which complicated the interpretation of results. The in vivo effects did not align with prior in vitro findings, indicating the difficulty of demonstrating in vivo the in vitro results.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Gene expression changes in colon tissues following intake of an ellagitannin-containing pomegranate extract: a randomized clinical trial |
|---|---|
| Journal | J Nutr Biochem |
| Year | 2017 |
| PMID | 28183047 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.01.014 ↗ |
| Topic | NAD⁺, sirtuins & cellular energy |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
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Pomegranate Ellagitannin Extract
In human research, the ellagitannin-derived metabolite urolithin A has improved muscle strength, endurance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial function and inflammation in randomized trials of middle-aged and older adults, and a small 2025 trial found more youthful immune-cell profiles after four weeks, although several…
Pomegranate ellagitannin extract is a concentrated source of ellagitannins (such as punicalagins) and…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
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Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Can dietary polyphenols, specifically ellagitannins from pomegranate extract, modify gene expression in colon tissues of colorectal cancer patients? [Plain-English summary of J Nutr Biochem 2017, PMID 28183047, DOI 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.01.014]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d28183047.html@misc{magellan_d28183047,
title = {Can dietary polyphenols, specifically ellagitannins from pomegranate extract, modify gene expression in colon tissues of colorectal cancer patients?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d28183047.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 28183047; DOI 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.01.014; J Nutr Biochem 2017. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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