Abstract
Increasing trend in antimicrobial resistance and failure of chemically synthesized antibiotics lead to discover alternative methods for the treatment of bacterial infections. Various medicinal plants are in use traditionally and their active compounds can be further applied for treatment of bacterial diseases. This study was designed to determine the antibacterial activity of Punica granatum (P. granatum L.) (pomegranate) peel extract against Enterobacteriaceae [Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Shigella Dysenteriae (S. Dysenteriae)] and gram-positive bacterium [Staphylococcus aureus (Staph aureus)]. Methanolic extract of P. granatum L. peel was prepared by Soxhlet apparatus method. Total flavonoid and phenolic contents from the extract were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The antibacterial activity of P. granatum L. peel extract was evaluated through agar well diffusion method. HPLC showed the range of phenolics (gallic acid, caffeic acid, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid) and flavonoid compounds. The chemical structures of flavonoid and phenolics found in the methanolic extract of P. granatum L. peel have been reported for the first time. The methanolic peel extract (50 ul) of yellow P. granatum L. showed 26, 10, 10 and 9mm zones of inhibition (ZOI) against S. aureus, S. Typhimurium, S. Dysenteriae and E. coli, respectively. The methanolic extract of red P. granatum L. (100 ul) showed 27, 8, 12 and 15 mm ZOI against Staph. aureus, S. Typhimurium, S. Dysenteriae and E. coli, respectively. Highest ZOI was observed against Staph. aureus. Many of the bacteria studied in the present work may cause serious gastrointestinal infections, which can lead to hemorrhagic diarrhea in children. These infections can be life-threatening to young children and the elderly. There is an incentive to find alternative control measures, such as plant and herbal extracts, especially in lesser-developed countries where traditional antibiotics may not be readily available.
Highlights
Excessive use of antibiotics is the leading cause of resistance in pathogenic bacteria mainly in Staph. aureus, E. coli O157, Salmonella and Pseudomonas
Different plant extracts have been reported for their antimicrobial activities including some of the important appended here i.e., Aframomum melegueta (Doherty et al, 2011), aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) Kuntze against diarrhea-inducing bacteria (Mallmann et al, 2018), antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of the fresh leaf essential oil of Psidium guajava L. (Silva et al, 2019) and antimicrobial activity of Campomanesia aurea against three strains of Listeria monocytogenes (Pacheco et al, 2020)
The zones of inhibition (ZOI) of both red and yellow P. granatum L. extracts against different bacteria have been shown in Table 1 and Figure 2
Summary
Excessive use of antibiotics is the leading cause of resistance in pathogenic bacteria mainly in Staph. aureus, E. coli O157, Salmonella and Pseudomonas. Excessive use of antibiotics is the leading cause of resistance in pathogenic bacteria mainly in Staph. The active components in plants (phytochemicals) are helpful components against pathogenic microorganisms in replacement of antibiotics (Devi et al, 2011; Ahmad et al, 2020). Due to bacterial resistance against antibiotics, herbal medicines can be used for the treatment of many diseases. Medicinal plants are natural products for the treatment of diseases without any adverse side effects (Moghaddam et al, 2013; Javed et al, 2021; Majeed et al, 2021; Rafay et al, 2021). Different plant extracts have been reported for their antimicrobial activities including some of the important appended here i.e., Aframomum melegueta (Doherty et al, 2011), aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) Kuntze against diarrhea-inducing bacteria (Mallmann et al, 2018), antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of the fresh leaf essential oil of Psidium guajava L. Different plant extracts have been reported for their antimicrobial activities including some of the important appended here i.e., Aframomum melegueta (Doherty et al, 2011), aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) Kuntze against diarrhea-inducing bacteria (Mallmann et al, 2018), antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of the fresh leaf essential oil of Psidium guajava L. (Silva et al, 2019) and antimicrobial activity of Campomanesia aurea against three strains of Listeria monocytogenes (Pacheco et al, 2020)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
