A cursory survey of the literature reveals that the tannins from
the pericarp of pomegranate exhibit antiviral activity against
the genital herpes virus (3). The pomegranate rind extract is
also shown to be a potent virucidal agent (4) and has been used
as a constituent of antifungal and antiviral preparations (5).
Pomegranate is also used as a part of a fungicidal preparations
(6). There are reports of the use of a water decoction of
pomegranate peel powder as a multifunctional vaginal suppository
(7) for contraception and for the prevention and cure of
venereal disease. Pomegranate peel is reported as a part of a
preparation used for treating the infection of male or female
sexual organs, mastitis, acne, folliculitis, pile, allergic dermatitis,
tympanitis, and scald for curing diarrhea and dysentery (8) and
as part of the medicine for the treatment of oral diseases (9).
The pomegranate peel extract, when introduced into juice,
improves the process intensity due to acceleration of deposit
precipitation of the haze-forming substance (10). The presence
of antioxidants has been reported from pomegranate juice (11);
however, no literature was found reporting the antioxidant
activity in the pomegranate peels and seeds. The objectives of
this study were to prepare antioxidant-rich fractions from
pomegranate peels and seed extracts and to evaluate their
antioxidant activity using various in vitro models.