Antimicrobial activity of peels and seeds of indian punica granatum varieties

Abstract

Four pomegranate varieties of India were selected to study their antimicrobial activities. The exocarp, mesocarp and seed extractions were obtained through soxhlet procedure and the separated samples were tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporum. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration levels (MIC) of the bacterial strains were also studied. These varieties showed large zone of inhibitions when compared to the standard antibiotic i.e. ampicillin. The mesocarp of all the samples showed promising positive results compared to exocarp and seeds. The maximum zone of inhibition was resulted with the mesocarp of Ganesha (34mm) against the fungal strain Aspergillus niger. All the parts of pomegranates showed maximum antimicrobial activities with their mesocarp and the minimum activity with the exocarp. This information can be used in the development of novel drugs.