A substance for protecting nerves and the heart has been found in pomegranate leaves

A natural compound from pomegranate leaves and branches is capable of destroying harmful protein aggregates associated with transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis — a disease that affects the nervous system and heart. The discovery was made by scientists from Kumamoto University. The results of the study were published in the journal iScience.

In transthyretin amyloidosis, an abnormal protein (amyloid) accumulates in tissues, causing damage to the peripheral nervous system, heart, kidneys, and other organs. This leads to shortness of breath during physical exertion, episodes of dizziness, heart failure, and chronic pain.

To identify new compounds for combating the disease, the team studied more than 1,500 plant extracts. The most active turned out to be 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (PGG) found in pomegranate. In laboratory experiments, PGG destroyed amyloid fibrils of both mutant and wild-type transthyretin without affecting other proteins.

In tests on nematodes, the compound reduced the amount of protein deposits and increased the organism's lifespan. Additionally, PGG destroyed amyloid fibrils isolated from cardiac tissue of patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, indicating its potential clinical significance.

The researchers found that PGG's activity is explained by the features of its structure: specifically, the "branches" of chemical groups (galloyl groups) attached to the core molecule allow the compound to firmly bind to dangerous proteins and destroy them.

The authors emphasize that additional safety and efficacy studies are needed before PGG can be used in humans. However, in the future, plant-derived molecules could become the basis for next-generation therapy that not only stabilizes proteins but actively destroys pathogenic protein aggregates.