The potential effects of Pomegranate on Bacteria and Viruses: A review

Abstract

The Pomegranates have been known for their numerous health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viruses properties. Research indicates that pomegranates and their extracts may serve as natural alternatives due to their potency against a wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens. The characterization and effect of pomegranate were investigated from different extract water, ethanol, methanol, acetic acid and petroleum ether. Pomegranate has a vital role in the prevention of cancer, viral diseases, diabetes, bacterial infections, ultraviolet radiation-induced skin damage and infant brain ischemia due to synthesizing putative active molecules such as Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Punicalin, Punicalagin, Anthocyanins, and Flavanols compounds. In this mini-review, we debate the antimicrobial and antiviral effects of pomegranate.

Full text

Journal of Biotechnology Science Research.2016;3(6):175-180
Review paper
The potential effects of Pomegranate on Bacteria and Viruses: A review
Osman Albarri1*, Işıl Var2, Amani Boushihassal1, Melda Meral3, Cansu Önlen3, Mariam Hassan
Mohamed1, FatihKöksal3
1Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences (Fen BilimleriEnstitüsü), Department of Biotechnology, Cukurova University, 01330
Balcali, Adana, Turkey.
2Department of Food Engineering, Agricultural Faculty, Cukurova University, TR-01100 Adana, Turkey
3Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University , TR-01100 Adana, Turkey.
ARTICLE INFO:
Article history:
Received: 8 April 2016
Received in revised form: 5 August
2016
Accepted: 4 February 2017
Available online: 15 February
2017
Keywords:
Punicagranatum
Antibacterial
Phytochemicals
Antivirus
*Corresponding author
othman1albari@hotmail.com
ABSTRACT
The Pomegranates have been known for their numerous health benefits, including antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viruses properties. Research indicates that
pomegranates and their extracts may serve as natural alternatives due to their potency against
a wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens. The characterization and effect of pomegranate
were investigated from different extract water, ethanol, methanol, acetic acid and petroleum
ether. Pomegranate has a vital role in the prevention of cancer, viral diseases, diabetes,
bacterial infections, ultraviolet radiation-induced skin damage and infant brain ischemia due
to synthesizing putative active molecules such as Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Punicalin,
Punicalagin, Anthocyanins, and Flavanols compounds. In this mini-review, we debate the
antimicrobial and antiviral effects of pomegranate.
1. Introduction
Punica granatum are utilized by local people as the
part of their meal. Peoples supposed to consume
Punica granatum arial part and throw its peel as
waste. Punica granutam is also well known by
different local name like dalim, anar, and
pomegranate1. It belongs to the family of Punicaeae.
Punica granatum L., an ancient, mystical, and
highly distinctive fruit, is the pre-dominant
member of two species comprising the
Punicaceae family. Punica granatum are widely
available in Mediterranean basin and Southern Asia
in warm environment 2. The chief production of
pomegranates is carried out at Alicante and Murcia
provinces of India 3. Different part of pomegranate
like bark, leaves, immature fruits, and fruit rind have
some medicinal importance 3. Various investigations
were carried out to determine antioxidant,
anticarcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties of
pomegranate constituents3,4. Numerous studies
showed the role of pomegranate in prevention of
cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dental
conditions, erectile dysfunction, bacterial infections,
male infertility, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and
obesity using various extract of this plant 5-7. In this
mini review, we attempted to summarize the
Journal of Biotechnology Science Research (JBSR)
Journal homepage: www.jbsr.issres.net
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Albarri et al/ Journal of Biotechnology Science Research.2016;3(6): 175-180
antimicrobial and anti-viral properties of
pomegranate.
2. Antimicrobial Properties
The antimicrobial activities of pomegranate extracts
have been widely studied against several highly
pathogenic and sometimes antibiotic-resistant
organisms. The antimicrobial activity of the
pomegranate against clinical isolates strains of
pathogenic of S. aureus and E. coli were studied by
Pagliarulo C et al8. The antibacterial activity of
different extracts of pomegranate fruit against S.
aureus and E. coli determined with the agar-diffusion
method. It has been found that the crude and purified
peel extracts have high antibacterial activity, which
formed a large zone inhibition (15-30 mm) against
both the test microorganisms at concentration of 2, 4,
8 mg /disc, while the crude juice extracts of
pomegranate at concentration of 10 mg/ disc have not
demonstrated clear zone against E. coli. However, the
concentration of 20 mg/disc led to formation of a clear
inhibition zone of 13 mm, against both S. aureus and
E. coli. Purified juice of pomegranate at concentration
of 4 mg/d demonstrated a lower antibacterial activity,
forming an inhibition zone of 10 mm against S.
aureus and 8 mm against E. coli. The MBC (The
minimum bactericidal concentration: was defined as
the minimum extract concentration that killed 99% of
bacteria in the initial inoculums) of pomegranate
crude juice extracts was 160 µg/µl against both
clinically isolated microorganisms tested in this study.
Differently from the juice extracts, the peel
pomegranate extracts exhibited the following
antimicrobial activity: MIC 30 µg/µl and MBC70
µg/µl against E. coli; and MIC 20 µg/µl and MBC 50
µg/µl against S. aureus8. Sydney et al 9 also reported
antibacterial activity of pomegranate extract against
Clostridium difficile. It has been found that
pomegranate extract exhibits in vitro activity against
Clostridium difficile. This research was the first data
of antimicrobial in vitro activity for pomegranate
extract against toxigenic C. difficile. The antibacterial
activity of extracts of pomegranate fruit on C. Difficile
determined with the agar-diffusion method, it has
been found that all the C. difficile strains tested had
MICs at 12.5-25 μg/ml GAE level range, so the use of
pomegranate extract is very important to prevention of
C. difficile disease or colonization 9. There was other
studied that talked about the activity of pomegranate
extract against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris DSM
3922 vegetative cells and spores in apple juice 10. This
bacteria is leading to spoilage of fruit juices and acidic
food products through produce taint compound and
their spores can survive during thermal pasteurization,
in other words their spores were not killed by
pasteurization11, 12. The counts (log CFU/ml) of A.
acidoterrestris vegetative cells in the apple juice at
difference concentration were studied. It has been
found that the count of vegetative cells in apple juice
at different concentrations of pomegranate extract
(PE) were decreased during time, the count of
vegetative cells in apple juice without pomegranate
extract was approximately 7.36 log CFU/mL at the 24
hour while the count of vegetative cells in apple juice
with different concentration of pomegranate extract
were tested and results were as follow : at
concentration 10 µg/ml of pomegranate extract was
4.34 log CFU/mL, at concentration 20 µg/ml of
pomegranate extract was 4.19 log CFU/mL, and at
concentration 40 µg/ml of pomegranate extract was
4.10 log CFU/mL. The inhibitory activity of PE
against spores was evaluated in relation to sporulation
media. PDA, BATA, BAA and MEA have been used
for sporulation. A. acidoterrestris spores in the apple
juice with different concentrations of PE (2.5-40
mg/mL) were tested. The extract of PE inhibits the
germination of spores from all sporulation media in
the apple juice when compared to the control spores
due to its role in the destruction of cell wall and
membrane of bacteria and the effect on the cell
division 10. Gullon et al13 showed antibacterial activity
of the pomegranate peel flour (PPF) against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella sp, Listeria
monocytogenes and Listeria innocua bacterial strains.
Antimicrobial activity of pomegranate extracts was
tested using a microdilution assay .The antimicrobial
activities of pomegranate extracts, expressed as
minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and
minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), were
evaluated. It has been found that the growth of
Salmonella sp and L. monocytogenes were inhibited
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Albarri et al/ Journal of Biotechnology Science Research.2016;3(6): 175-180
by a concentration (MIC) 50 mg/mL of PPF, while the
MIC of PPF against L. innocua was 20 mg/ml and
against P. aeruginosa was 40 mg/ml. Regarding MPC
of PPF for Salmonella sp and L. monocytogenes were
60 mg/mL, for P. aeruginosa was 50 mg/ml and L.
innocua was 30 mg/ml13. Türkyılmaz et al14 has
reported antimicrobial activity of PJ (Pomegranate
juice) against B. megaterium and B. subtilis. It has
been found that the pomegranate extract has high
antibacterial activity against B. subtilis and B.
megaterium with the inhibition zone (16.0 mm) and
(14.4 mm), respectively14. The antimicrobial
mechanisms (Figure 1) of phenolic compounds
involve the reaction of phenolics with microbial cell
membrane proteins and/or protein sulfhydryl groups
that yield bacterial death due to membrane protein
precipitation and inhibition of enzymes such as
glycosyltransferases15-17. Food-borne diseases and
urinary tract infections are conventionally treated on
the Indian Sub-continent using Pomegranate peel
extracts (PoPx)18,19while ellagitannins, punicalagin,
ellagic acid and gallic acid as natural antimicrobial
agents have been widely exploited against S. aureus
and E. coli for their ability to precipitate membrane
proteins and inhibit enzymes such as
glycosyltransferases, leading to cell lysis20– 21, 22.
3. Antiviral properties
Influenza virus continues to be a major cause of
morbidity and mortality each year with 31,000 deaths
reported yearly in the US, despite access to vaccines.
However, frequent recombination events and viral
evolution necessitate the change in vaccine
composition requiring administration of new vaccines
yearly. Researchers have shown that pomegranate
polyphenols were virucidal against influenza A virus,
suppressed the replication of the virus in host cells,
and inhibited agglutination of chicken red blood cells
caused by the virus using real-time polymerase chain
reaction, a plaque assay, and a median tissue culture
infective dose 50% hemagglutination assay23-24-25.
Anti-influenza viricidal activity has also been
associated with other flavonoid compounds26. The
pomegranate has been used in phage amplification
assays as a viricidal agent27. In addition, pomegranate
extract has been reported to have microbiocidal
effects on HIV-1 28. Table 1 displayed various
studies of pomegranate toward different bacterial
strains.
Figure 1 Depicted how pomegranate does impact bacterial cell.
Effect of Pomegranate
Antibacterial
Antiviral
Blocked
replication
of the virus
RNA
Reductions in
viral infectivity
and binding to
host cell
receptors
Structural
Damage
It affected on
the cell
division
Inhibition
of
enzymes
Damage in the
cell wall and
membrane of
bacteria
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Albarri et al/ Journal of Biotechnology Science Research.2016;3(6): 175-180
Tabel 1 Showed antimicrobial activities of various parts of pomegranate
.
4. Conclusion
We discussed in this review the antimicrobial
activity of pomegranate against bacterial and
viruses with mechanisms of action including vital
growth bacteria , effect on bacterial cell signaling,
reductions in viral infectivity and binding to host
cell receptors, and structural damage to viruses, and
this review support potential benefit of
pomegranate extracts in food preservation and
decontamination. This application could be
particularly useful in lesser developed countries
where food sanitation can easily be compromised.
Results of the studies on antibacterial benefits of
pomegranate extracts against bacteria hold promise
toward using them in the alternative medicine.
Additional trials should be conducted to confirm
the benefits.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Part of the plant
Extract
Bacterial strains
References
Arils
Water extracts
Bacillus megaterium
P. aeruginosa
S. aureus,
Corynebacter iumxerosis
E. coli
Enterococcus faecalis
Micrococcus luteus
29
Whole fruit
Aqueous and methanol
extracts
S. typh
S. typhimurium
S. paratyphi
30
Peels
Water, methanol,
petroleum ether, and
chloroform extracts
E. coli, S. aureus
B. subtilis
L. monocytogenes
Y. enterocolitica
K. pneumoniae
P. aeruginosa
31
Whole fruit Peels
Water and ethanol extracts
hexane, butanol and ethyl
acetate
Different strains of E. coli
Methicillin-resistant S.
aureus
32
Peels
Water extracts
Methicillin-sensitive and
methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
33
Peels
Water extracts
B. subtilis
E. coli
P. aeruginosa
Proteus mirabilis
S. aureus
34
Whole fruit
Ethanol extracts
P. aeruginosa
B. subtilis
35
Whole fruit
Raw extracts
E. coli
Enteroccoccus faecalis
Enterobacter aerogenes
S. aureus
Microccocus luteus
P. aeruginosa
36
Juice Whole fruit
Aqeous extract Ethyl
acetate extract
Aeromonas hydrophila
Methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
37
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Cite this article as Albarri O, Var I, Boushihassal A, Meral M, Önlen C, Mohamed MH, Köksal K (2016) The potential
effects of Pomegranate on Bacteria and Viruses: A review. Journal of Biotechnology Science Research 3(6):175-180.
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