title: Partial identification of antifungal compounds from Punica granatum peel extracts.
abstract: Aqueous extracts of pomegranate peels were assayed in vitro for their antifungal activity against six rot fungi that cause fruit and vegetable decay during storage. The growth rates of  Alternaria alternata ,  Stemphylium botryosum , and  Fusarium  spp. were significantly inhibited by the extracts. The growth rates were negatively correlated with the levels of total polyphenolic compounds in the extract and particularly with punicalagins, the major ellagitannins in pomegranate peels. Ellagitannins were also found to be the main compounds in the bioactive fractions using bioautograms, and punicalagins were identified as the main bioactive compounds using chromatographic separation. These results suggest that ellagitannins, and more specifically punicalagins, which are the dominant compounds in pomegranate peels, may be used as a control agent of storage diseases and to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides.
authors.affiliation: Migal Galilee Technology Center, P.O. Box 831, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel.
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Glazer
authors.forename: Segula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masaphy
authors.forename: Prosper
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marciano
authors.forename: Igal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bar-Ilan
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Zohar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kerem
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amir
mesh_terms: D000528:Alternaria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D005670:Fusarium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins; D010936:Plant Extracts; C115642:punicalagin