ABSTRACT
The present scenario of emergence of multiple drug resistance to human pathogenic organisms has initiated a search for new antimicrobial substances from plant sources. The use of higher plants and preparations made from them to treat infections is an age-old practice in a large part of the world population, especially in developing countries. The pomegranate tree,
Punica granatum
L. (Punicaceae), is a native shrub of occidental Asia and Mediterranean Europe that has a rich history of traditional use in medicine. For centuries, the bark, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of this plant have been used to ameliorate diseases. Several studies have reported the efficacy of various extracts or pure compounds from the different parts of pomegranate plant against the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the extracts from the pomegranate peel have been found to be active against methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
and multidrug-resistant
Salmonella typhimurium.
