Evaluation of Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Pomegranate Peel Extract: An In-vitro Study

Abstract

Introduction: Pomegranate fruit contains biologically active compounds that provide anti-inflammatory properties. Byproducts of pomegranate and punicalagins inhibit the growth of pathogens while enhancing the growth of beneficial bacteria. The beneficial effects of phenolic compounds are exhibited in scavenging free radicals. Aim: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of Pomegranate Peel Extract (PPE). Materials and Methods: The present in-vitro study was designed and carried out at the Nanobiomedicine Laboratort, Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from June 2021 to August 2021. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using the Egg Albumin Denaturation assay (EA) and Bovine Serum Albumin Denaturation assay (BSA). The measurement of antioxidant activity was conducted using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, Hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging (H2O2) assay, and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method. The microorganisms used to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of PPE were S. mutans, S.aureus, E.faecalis, and C.albicans. Results were analysed using independent t-tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (HSD). Results: Anti-inflammatory activity was observed with high concentrations of 40 and 50 µL in EA (70.06%±0.15, 78.08%±0.21) and BSA (75.50%±3.90, 80.82%±3.38) assays. Pronounced antioxidant activity of PPE was seen with higher concentrations of 40 and 50 µL in DPPH (88.17%±0.69, 92.50%±1.23), H2O2 (78.22%±0.94, 88.99%±1.03), and FRAP (78.43%±1.25, 88.49%±0.67) assays. The antimicrobial activity was highest at 100 µL for S.mutans (38±2.62 mm), S.aureus (36±3.16 mm), E.faecalis (21±1.48 mm), and C.albicans (23±2.36 mm). Conclusion: The study concluded that PPE has antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and these properties are concentration-dependent.