title: Antimicrobial activity of pomegranate peel extracts as affected by cultivar.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some studies have reported that different parts of the pomegranate fruit, especially the peel, may act as potential antimicrobial agents and thus might be proposed as a safe natural alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents. The high tannin content, especially punicalagin, found in pomegranate extracts, has been reported as the main compound responsible for such antimicrobial activity. Because the pomegranate peel chemical composition may vary with the type of cultivar (sweet, sour-sweet and sour), pomegranates may also differ with respect to their antimicrobial capacity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extract from PTO8 pomegranate cultivar peel had the highest antimicrobial activity, as well as the highest punicalagins (α and β) and ellagic acid concentrations. In the results obtained from both antibacterial and antifungal activity studies, the sour-sweet pomegranate cultivar PTO8 showed the best antimicrobial activity, and the highest ellagic acid concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study suggest that ellagic acid content has a significant influence on the antimicrobial activity of the pomegranate extracts investigated. The pomegranate peel of the PTO8 cultivar is a good source of antifungal and antibacterial compounds, and may represent an alternative to antimicrobial agents of synthetic origin. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Grupo Calidad y Seguridad Alimentaria, Departamento de Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela (EPSO), Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH), Ctra. Beniel, km 3.2, E-03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.|Departamento de Investigación y Posgrado en Alimentos, Universidad de Sonora, Blvd Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n, Col. Centro, CP 83000, Hermosillo, Sonora, México.
authors.forename: Ema C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Rosas-Burgos
authors.affiliation: Grupo Calidad y Seguridad Alimentaria, Departamento de Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela (EPSO), Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH), Ctra. Beniel, km 3.2, E-03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.|Departamento de Investigación y Posgrado en Alimentos, Universidad de Sonora, Blvd Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n, Col. Centro, CP 83000, Hermosillo, Sonora, México.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burgos-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Grupo Calidad y Seguridad Alimentaria, Departamento de Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela (EPSO), Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH), Ctra. Beniel, km 3.2, E-03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9269-1125
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Noguera-Artiaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, 949 76, Nitra, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kačániová
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Fruticultura y Técnicas de Producción, Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, EPSO, UMH, Ctra. Beniel, km 3.2, E-03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hernández-García
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Investigación y Posgrado en Alimentos, Universidad de Sonora, Blvd Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n, Col. Centro, CP 83000, Hermosillo, Sonora, México.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cárdenas-López
authors.affiliation: Grupo Calidad y Seguridad Alimentaria, Departamento de Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela (EPSO), Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH), Ctra. Beniel, km 3.2, E-03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Ángel A
authors.initials: ÁA
authors.lastname: Carbonell-Barrachina
mesh_terms: D020001:1-Butanol / Q000737:chemistry; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004610:Ellagic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005525:Food-Processing Industry / Q000191:economics; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D050296:Microbial Viability; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013030:Spain; D013045:Species Specificity; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D005520:Food Preservatives; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins; D007220:Industrial Waste; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D004610:Ellagic Acid; C115642:punicalagin; D020001:1-Butanol; D000432:Methanol
keywords: antibacterial activity; antifungal activity; minimum inhibitory concentration; radial growth inhibition; sour-sweet pomegranate cultivars