Salim Amira, Marquez Lewis, Jakkala Kishor, Woo Sunmin, Caputo Marco, Fancello Francesco, Deiana Pierfrancesco, Santona Mario, Molinu Maria Giovanna, Quave Cassandra L, Zara Severino
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari 07100, Italy.
Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States.
J Agric Food Chem. 2025 Jul 23;73(29):18280-18290. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c02320. Epub 2025 Jul 9.
This study highlights the potential of (pomegranate) peel extract (PPE) as a natural antimicrobial alternative to synthetic chemicals. Pomegranate peels, typically considered a byproduct of fruit processing, contain bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins. This research explored the antimicrobial efficacy of these phytochemicals against using a bioassay-guided fractionation approach to identify key bioactive components. While evaluating antimicrobial efficacy is critical, it is equally important to ensure safety for human use. Therefore, we assessed the cytotoxicity of punicalagins α and β on human keratinocytes to determine their biocompatibility and potential for safe application in food or therapeutic settings. The antibacterial activity of PPE was then evaluated using different food models. Punicalagins α and β were identified as individual compounds, and their pure reference forms showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 16 μg/mL. None of the tested fractions exhibited significant cytotoxicity to human keratinocytes (HaCaTs) (IC > 128 μg/mL). A significant reduction of up to 0.8-fold in bacterial cell counts was observed after PPE incorporation into tested food models. This research underscores the importance of exploring sustainable antimicrobial solutions derived from food industry byproducts as alternatives to synthetic antibiotics.
本研究突出了石榴皮提取物（PPE）作为合成化学品的天然抗菌替代品的潜力。石榴皮通常被认为是水果加工的副产品，含有多酚、黄酮类化合物和单宁等生物活性化合物。本研究采用生物测定引导的分级分离方法，探索了这些植物化学物质对[具体微生物，原文未提及]的抗菌效果，以确定关键的生物活性成分。虽然评估抗菌效果至关重要，但确保其对人类使用的安全性同样重要。因此，我们评估了α-石榴皮素和β-石榴皮素对人角质形成细胞的细胞毒性，以确定它们的生物相容性以及在食品或治疗环境中安全应用的潜力。然后使用不同的食品模型评估了PPE的抗菌活性。α-石榴皮素和β-石榴皮素被鉴定为单一化合物，其纯参考形式的最低抑菌浓度（MIC）为16μg/mL。所有测试级分对人角质形成细胞（HaCaTs）均未表现出显著的细胞毒性（IC>128μg/mL）。将PPE添加到测试食品模型中后，观察到细菌细胞数量显著减少，最多减少了0.8倍。本研究强调了探索源自食品工业副产品的可持续抗菌解决方案作为合成抗生素替代品的重要性。
