Antimicrobial activity of pomegranate peel extracts as affected by cultivar

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Some studies have reported that different parts of the pomegranate fruit, especially the peel, may act as potential antimicrobial agents and thus might be proposed as a safe natural alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents. The high tannin content, especially punicalagin, found in pomegranate extracts, has been reported as the main compound responsible for such antimicrobial activity. Because the pomegranate peel chemical composition may vary with the type of cultivar (sweet, sour–sweet and sour), pomegranatesmayalsodifferwithrespecttotheirantimicrobialcapacity. RESULTS: The extract from PTO8 pomegranate cultivar peel had the highest antimicrobial activity, as well as the highest punicalagins (𝜶 and 𝜷) and ellagic acid concentrations. In the results obtained from both antibacterial and antifungal activity studies, the sour–sweet pomegranate cultivar PTO8 showed the best antimicrobial activity, and the highest ellagic acid concentrations. CONCLUSION:Theresultsofthepresentstudysuggestthatellagicacidcontenthasasignificantinfluenceontheantimicrobial activity ofthepomegranateextractsinvestigated.ThepomegranatepeelofthePTO8cultivarisagoodsourceofantifungaland antibacterial compounds, andmayrepresentanalternativetoantimicrobialagentsofsyntheticorigin.