Comparative Study on the Antibacterial Activity of Pomegranate Rind Extract

Abstract Pomegranate (Punica granatum), is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub grown easily all over the world. In India, these fruits are used in the Ayurveda for treatment of many diseases. The present study emphasized on the antibacterial activity of the peel extract (rind) of two Punica granatum varieties (Kesar and Ganesh) on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus sps. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methanol extract was found to be effective in Kesar and Ganesh variety. Further, these peels were tested for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Tolerance towards metal ions, qualitative phytochemical properties and Vitamin C content was also tested. The highest Antibacterial activity was recorded for S. aureus in both the extracts and was found to be 18 mm (Kesar) and 19 mm (Ganesh) respectively. Our results suggest that rind extracts of P. granatum can be used in treating infections caused by test organism. Keywords: Punica granatum, Staphylococcus aureus, metal salts, phytochemical properties, Vitamin C content