The antibacterial activity of ellagic acid from Punica granatum L. mediated through inhibition of bacterial divisome protein, FtsZ

Abstract

Bacterial diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are the primary causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Traditional knowledge-based herbal medicines played a crucial role in the clinical management of GI diseases in developing countries. Pomegranate is extensively used in conventional medicine for controlling GI diseases. The current study demonstrates the antibacterial activity of ellagic acid, an active compound of pomegranate fruit peel, inhibiting bacterial cell division. Ethanol extract (hot) of Punica granatum L. fruit peel powder inhibited the growth of GI pathogens and Enterococcus faecalis. Activity-guided fractionation using TLC followed by HPLC analysis leads to identifying ellagic acid as one of the active compounds. Ellagic acid inhibited Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholera, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis with Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) ranges from 32-64 μgmL-1. Elongation of Bacillus subtilis 168 cells in the presence of active fraction indicated inhibition of bacterial replication. Malachite green assay and FtsZ polymerization revealed that ellagic acid inhibited FtsZ polymerization by reducing GTPase activity FtsZ. Molecular docking predicted binding sites as nucleotide-binding sites. The present study validates the therapeutic use of the Punica granatum L. fruit peel to treat GI diseases using microbiological and biochemical methods. Ellagic acid, one of the active compounds of Punica granatum fruit peel, inhibits GI pathogens by inhibiting the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ.