Investigating the antibacterial and anti-bioilm effects of pomegranate seed extract on treatment-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from Laleh hospital in Tehran

Subject Areas : microbiology

Melika Falahati ¹ , Mina Ramezani ² , Behin Omidi ³

1 - MSc., Department of Biology, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 - Associated professor, Department of Biology, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Assiatant Professor, Department of Biology, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2025-05-04 Accepted : 2025-05-20 Published : 2025-06-01

Keywords: Pomegranate, Antimicrobial properties, Acinetobacter baumannii, Antibiotic resistance, Chromatography, biofilm,

Abstract :

Introduction: In recent decades, the escalating antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria has heightened the necessity for discovering and developing new and effective antimicrobial agents. One of the natural sources that has garnered attention due to its diverse bioactive compounds is the pomegranate (Panica granatum L.). This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial properties of pomegranate seed extract and evaluating its ability to reduce the expression of genes related to the biofilm formation of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Materials and Methods: In this study, pomegranate seed extract was first extracted by mixing method and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Acinetobacter baumannii samples were collected from the trachea, lungs and urine of patients admitted to Laleh Hospital's ICU and were identified by standard tests after culture in the MacConkey agar environment. Then the antibiogram and MIC test were performed in the cultivated group with and without proximity to the extract. The expression of BAP, ABA1 genes was investigated by real time-PCR in three groups; control, extract and chlorhexidine group. The results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test.

 Results: The results showed that pomegranate seed extract contains a wide range of chemical compounds including propanediol, furan carboxyaldehyde, hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid and Chlorzoxazone, which have strong antimicrobial potential. The data showed that pomegranate seed extract has the ability to inhibit the growth and proliferation of Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria.  It also reduces the expression of biofilm formation genes BAP, ABA1 which has the same effect as the disinfectant chlorhexidine.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that pomegranate extract could serve as an effective natural source for the development of new antimicrobial drugs and antibiotic alternatives
 

 

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