Pomegranate extract exhibits in vitro activity against Clostridium difficile

Sydney M Finegold; Paula H Summanen; Karen Corbett; Julia Downes; Susanne M Henning; Zhaoping Li

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2014.02.029

Pomegranate extract exhibits in vitro activity against Clostridium difficile

Nutrition. 2014 Oct;30(10):1210-2. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2014.02.029. Epub 2014 Mar 14.

Authors

Sydney M Finegold¹, Paula H Summanen², Karen Corbett², Julia Downes², Susanne M Henning³, Zhaoping Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Infectious Diseases Section, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA; Research Service, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA; Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA. Electronic address: sidfinegold@gmail.com.
² Research Service, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
³ UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
⁴ Research Service, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.

PMID: 24976424
DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2014.02.029

Abstract

Objective: To determine the possible utility of pomegranate extract in the management or prevention of Clostridium difficile infections or colonization.

Method: The activity of pomegranate was tested against 29 clinical C. difficile isolates using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute-approved agar dilution technique. Total phenolics content of the pomegranate extract was determined by Folin-Ciocalteau colorimetric method and final concentrations of 6.25 to 400 μg/mL gallic acid equivalent were achieved in the agar.

Results: All strains had MICs at 12.5 to 25 mg/mL gallic acid equivalent range. Our results suggest antimicrobial in vitro activity for pomegranate extract against toxigenic C. difficile.

Conclusion: Pomegranate extract may be a useful contributor to the management and prevention of C. difficile disease or colonization.

Keywords: Clostridum difficile; MIC; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Pomegranate; Pomegranate extract; Susceptibility.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
Clostridioides difficile / drug effects*
Fruit
Humans
Lythraceae / chemistry*
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Phenols / analysis
Phenols / pharmacology*
Plant Extracts / chemistry
Plant Extracts / pharmacology*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Phenols
Plant Extracts