Influence of the Extractive Method of Punica granatum Peels in its Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activities Against Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the different types of solvents (water, ethanol and methanol) and extraction methods (ultrasound and maceration) on Punica granatum peels and to assess their antibacterial and antibiofilm activities. Our results revealed that the solvents and the extraction methods had a significant effect concerning the antimicrobial effects of P. granatum peels. The methanol extract produced by both the ultrasound and the maceration extraction techniques and the ethanol extract produced by the maceration extraction technique showed the most potent effect with the same bacteriostatic effect (MIC=25 mg/ml) on Staphylococcus epidermidis (CIP444). The antibacterial activities for all the P. granatum peels extracts were the same against E. coli (ATCC35218), with an MIC=25 mg/ml. The results showed that the methanol and the ethanol extracts produced by both the ultrasound and the maceration extraction techniques had an appreciable antibiofilm activity against S. epidermidis (CIP 444). These extracts showed the highest prevention capacity at a concentration of 12.5 mg/ml. In addition, the highest biofilm eradication activity was obtained using the ethanol extract with the ultrasound technique at a concentration of 25 mg/ml. We concluded that the P. granatum peels extracts have great potential as future natural antibacterial agents