Pomegranate Juice (Punica Granatum): A New Storage Medium for Avulsed Teeth

OBJECTIVE: There is evidence indicating that pomegranate juice contains many of the essential properties necessary to retain cell viability and cell proliferation. These properties indicate that pomegranate juice is a suitable storage medium for avulsed teeth. However, this idea has not yet been tested. In this study, the capacity of pomegranate juice (PJ) as a storage medium for retaining avulsed teeth was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PDL fibroblasts were obtained from healthy human premolars and cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM). Cultured cells were subjected to different concentrations of pomegranate juice (PJ), 1% Hank’s balanced salt solution (HBSS) and tap water for 1, 3, 6 and 24 hours. PDL cell viability was assessed by the neutral red uptake assay. RESULTS: The results indicated that 7.5% PJ was the most effective solution for maintaining PDL cell viability amongst all the experimental solution’s and time intervals (P<0.05). The results also showed that 1% PJ was as effective as HBSS for maintaining PDL cell viability. The amount of cell viability increased with increasing concentration of PJ at all time intervals (P<0.001). This effect is suggestive of the proliferative potential of PJ solution. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, PJ can be recommended as a suitable transport medium for avulsed teeth.