LONDON / RankWire.AI / – In recent experimental studies, a naturally occurring compound associated with pomegranates has demonstrated the ability to enhance several cardiac performance indicators in models of HFpEF. The compound, urolithin A, was shown to facilitate more effective relaxation of the heart between beats. Additionally, it lowered fibrosis levels and prevented abnormal enlargement of cardiac muscle cells. Improvements of up to 80% were observed in certain metrics compared to untreated animal models. Researchers also confirmed positive effects in engineered human heart tissue, adding further laboratory support to these findings.
Developed when the heart’s ability to relax is impaired despite normal pumping, HFpEF, or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, hampers the heart’s capacity to fill with blood during diastole. This condition often results in breathlessness, fatigue, and diminished exercise tolerance. In the United Kingdom, it accounts for nearly half of all heart failure cases. Urolithin A is produced when gut microbes process certain compounds found in pomegranates, walnuts, and various berries, though individual production levels vary.
The research pinpointed the role of PKGIα, a protein essential for maintaining healthy blood vessel function and cardiac relaxation. Urolithin A specifically modified cysteine 42, a component of this protein, thereby activating a pathway associated with cardiovascular health. The study also examined how the compound impacted heart tissue structure, with King’s College London researchers reporting improvements in diastolic function, decreased tissue scarring, and less enlargement of heart muscle cells in the experimental models treated with the compound.
Laboratory Models Showed Improved Cardiac Relaxation with Urolithin A
The focus of the animal studies was on diastolic function, a key measure of how effectively the heart relaxes and fills after each beat. Models that received treatment outperformed untreated controls on multiple parameters. Researchers also detected a reduction in fibrosis, which can stiffen heart tissue and impair filling. The reported performance enhancement of up to 80% applied to select experimental measures, but it is important to note that these results do not equate to an 80% improvement in patient outcomes, nor did the study involve human clinical testing.
Further testing involved engineered human cardiac tissue derived from stem cells, providing a controlled environment to study human heart responses. Urolithin A improved both relaxation and contraction in these samples. Previous studies on urolithin A for other purposes have shown a positive safety profile in humans. However, since the current research did not include patients with HFpEF, the findings are limited to laboratory and animal models at this stage.
Human Clinical Trials Are Necessary to Confirm Therapeutic Potential
British Heart Foundation funded the research and highlighted the initial effects of urolithin A on heart relaxation observed in early testing phases. The organization also emphasized that these results do not constitute a treatment for HFpEF. Scientists have also cautioned against interpreting the findings as evidence that consuming pomegranates can cure heart failure. The study focused solely on urolithin A’s biological activity, not on dietary intake of pomegranates. No foods tested during the research demonstrated the ability to prevent or treat heart failure.
This work underscores cysteine 42 in PKGIα as a specific biological target in HFpEF research. It offers laboratory evidence that urolithin A can activate this pathway, improving several markers associated with cardiac relaxation. HFpEF frequently coexists with high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, and remains a major subtype of heart failure worldwide. To establish clinical efficacy, future trials will need to evaluate whether the compound produces similar effects in patients and whether those effects lead to measurable health improvements.