Effects of Pomegranate Extract on Intestinal Flora

A total of 20 individuals, 10 urolithin excretors and 10 nonexcretors will be enrolled. The excretor status will be determined by analysis for urolithin A glucuronide in 24 hour urine after one dose of POMx. A blood sample and stool sample will be obtained before administering the extract. Subjects will be asked to consume one capsule of 1000 mg POMx daily for 4 weeks. At day 28, a blood sample, 24 hour urine sample will be obtained, and the stool collected by the participant in the prior 24 hours will be returned to the Center. Blood and urine urolithin, ellagic acid levels and stool bacteria enumeration and identification (including pyrosequencing) will be measured with the samples collected. A stool DNA sample will be preserved and frozen for potential future measurement of gene-nutrient interaction in pomegranate metabolism. Throughout the study participants will be instructed not to consume pomegranate products, walnuts, or polyphenol-rich fruits ((strawberry, raspberry etc) or juices drawn from a list used in prior studies. The study will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Human Subjects Protection Committee of the University of California, Los Angeles. All subjects will give written informed consent before the study begins. Participants will be recruited by advertisement in the local newspaper in the Los Angeles Area close to UCLA.