Study of Bio-Pharmaceutical and Antimicrobial Properties of Pomegranate ( Punica granatum L.) Leathery Exocarp Extract.

Pomegranate ( Punica granatum L.) fruits are important sources of vitamins and minerals and widely used in the dietary supplement industry. An aqueous extract of its leathery exocarp (LEP) was obtained by a solid-phase micro-extraction method. The antifungal activity was examined against the phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum , Phytophthora cinnamomi , Penicillium digitatum and Botrytis cinerea , and the antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli , Xanthomonas campestris, Bacillus megaterium and Clavibacter michiganensis . The antimicrobial assays showed, in some cases, a promising antimicrobial effect compared to the synthetic drugs. The possible anti-acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities of the LEP extract were investigated by the Ellman's assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, respectively, and their results showed that the LEP extract has an effective anti-acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect and an antioxidant activity. Thus, the LEP extract could be valid as a candidate for further studies on the use of pomegranate in neurodegenerative diseases as a food preservative and a suitable substitute to control several phytopathogens.