Several in vivo studies had documented that pomegranate plant had antioxidants that were powerful and beneficial to overall health. They were called polyphenols and flavonoids. It was also a highly regarded defender against free-radicals in the body. In the present study, the anti-oxidant properties of pomegranate peel and seed (diet or extract) were investigated in CCl4 – induced rat genotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. The studied male Sprague-Dawley albino rats were divided into seven groups (control, CCl4, CCl4 + silymarin, CCl4 + pomegranate peel diet, CCl4 + peel exact, CCl4 + seed diet and CCl4 + seed extract). Chromosomal aberration, sperm abnormalities, molecular assay and determination of nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) of testes were carried out. Results documented that CCl4produced genotoxicity as it increased chromosomal aberrations, sperm abnormalities and the number of amplified fragments DNA and decrease the content of total soluble protein. Administration of silymarin and pomegranate (diet or extract) after CCl4 significantly decrease the genotoxicity of CCl4, yet it failed in complete protection against toxic alterations caused by CCl4. Treatment with pomegranate appeared to have highly protective effect especially in animals treated with pomegranate seed extract. It can be concluded that pomegranate possess protective effects against CCl4 genotoxicity and hepatotoixicity in animal models. This protective effect might be attributed to its antioxidant and free radical scavenger effects. Key word: Pomegranate peel and seeds, Sprague-Dawley albino male rats, CCl4,genotoxicity, hepatotoixicity.
