https://doi.org/10.4081/jbr.2026.14853
Pomegranate peel extract and Helicobacter pylori eradication: an in vitro investigation
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Published: 30 June 2026
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a main cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. Despite available treatments, eradication fails in 5–20% of cases, with frequent ulcer recurrence. This highlights the need for alternative therapies, including plant-derived natural products. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the antibacterial effects of pomegranate peel extracts on H. pylori growth. This is a pilot study in which gastric biopsies were collected from H. pylori-positive patients at a single center. Fresh pomegranate (Punica granatum) peels were extracted with 80% methanol using ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Following filtration and concentration, extracts were examined for the presence of bioactive compounds. H. pylori were grown on brain–heart infusion broth, and the identification was confirmed by evaluating colony morphology, Gram stain, and urease, catalase, and oxidase activity. Antibacterial activity of peel extracts (3–10 milligrams per milliliter) was assessed via inhibition zones, and minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations were determined. Eight gastric biopsies were analyzed. All isolates (100%) were resistant to amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate, while fully susceptible to levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin, with inhibition zones of 18–29 mm and 18–27 mm, respectively. Pomegranate peel extract was found to exhibit a dose-response relationship in antibacterial activity against tested isolates when used in concentrations of 3, 5, 7, and 10 mg/mL. Inhibition zones ranged from complete inhibition (one isolate) to 24 mm at 3 mg/mL; from complete inhibition (one isolate) to 30 mm at 5 mg/mL; from complete inhibition (one isolate) to 32 mm at 7 mg/mL; and from 15 to 27 mm at 10 mg/mL. Pomegranate could be used as a natural therapeutic agent to establish novel strategies in the prevention of H. pylori infection and antibiotic resistance.
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Ethics Approval
CRediT authorship contribution
Mariwan Fathalla Abdalfatah, Namam Rebaz Mohammed, and Lalan Rebaz Mohammed made major contributions to the conception and design of the study and conducted the literature search. Shena Salam Omer, Aynda Sdiq, Ayman M. Mustafa, and Fahmi H. Kakamad contributed to the literature review and drafting of the manuscript. Dana T. Gharib, Hoshmand R. Asaad, Sivan H. Salih, and Karokh F. Hama Hussein contributed to the literature review, study design, critical revision of the manuscript, and preparation of the tables and figures. Ayman M. Mustafa and Fahmi H. Kakamad verified the authenticity of all raw data. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
Data Availability Statement
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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