The absorption of antioxidant compounds present in hydroalcoholic extract of pomegranate pulp (Punica granatum, L.) was evaluated by a cell culture model, using the Caco-2 cells (from an adenocarcinom of the colon). The hydroalcoholic extract of the pulp showed a content of reducing compounds of approximately 832 µg equivalent to gallic acid.mL-1 of the extract and its antioxidant activity was from 5.9% (0.1 ppm) to 93.09% (8 ppm), measured by the capacity of reducing the DPPH• radical. The cells that were treated with the extract showed a 4.16% of growing inibition (at a concentration of 200 ppm), and an absorption of the antioxidants compounds of approximately 63.25%. The gallic acid showed, at 400 ppm of concentration, a growing inhibition of 2.98% and anabsorption of 72.54% of the antioxidant compounds. These results pointed out that the method of evaluating the absorption by using cell culture was effective, and the antioxidant compounds were absorbed by the cells, which were viables after a long period of exposure to the compounds.
pomegranate; hydroalcoholic extract; gallic acid; antioxidants compounds; caco-2
