The Antibacterial Properties of Aqueous and Alcoholic Extracts of Punica granatum Seeds on Infectious Diarrhea Produced by Bacteria

Diarrhea is one of the gastrointestinal diseases that some reasons associated with an inappropriate of antibiotics treatment and, increased antibiotic resistance, has led to problems in the health system which vary in different societies. Control and resolution of this problem is necessary and the acquisition of a new group of antimicrobial compounds has been mentioned. So, this study aimed to determine the antibacterial activity of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum) on common gastrointestinal producing bacteria. The antibacterial property of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Punica granatum seeds against 100 bacteria was considered. Fifty and three isolates of E. coli, 19 isolates of Shigella sonneii, 8 isolates of Shigella flexneri, 5 isolates of Shigella dysentery, 7 strains of Proteus vulgaris, 5 isolates of Proteus mirabilis and 3 isolates of Citrobacter fraundii gathered from patients with diarrhea during July 2015-August 2016. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of various concentrations (mg/ml) of the extracts was used as an index of antimicrobial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration of aqueous extract vs. ethanolic based on mg / ml were following: E. coli (75 vs 37.5), Shigella sonnei (37.5 vs., 18.75), Shigella flexneri (18.75 vs., 9.37), Shigella dysentery (18.75 vs., 9.37), Proteus vulgaris (18.75 vs., 9.37), Proteus mirabilis (9.37 vs., 9.37) and Citrobacter fraundii (150 vs., 75), respectively. The aqueous and alcoholic extracts had inhibitory effects on the studied bacteria, which affects the concentration of the substances used. Maybe, these inhibitory effects against each bacterium depend on effective substances and the type of the solvent properties. It is suggested to extract new antimicrobial compounds by chromatography to gain new antimicrobial agents