Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity of Punica granatum against Antibiotic-Resistant Clostridium perfringens Type (D)

The search for new antibiotics and alternative products to solve the increasing number of bacterial resistance to customary antibiotics has become an urgent need. To investigate the effectiveness of the extracts prepared from different parts of Syrian Punica granatum Linn (family Punicaceae), against Clostridium perfringens type (D), which is resistant against many antibiotics, 684 samples were isolated from intestines and livers of death goats by using blood agar, and a selective agar for growing of Clostridium perfringens(SPS agar). The isolated bacteria were typed by using ELISA apparatus. Many parts of Punica granatum was extracted with water, absolute alcohol, then ether by using soxhlet apparatus and rotary evaporator. The Antibiotic susceptibility testing of many antibiotics was conducted by using disc diffusion method in anaerobic atmosphere and break points method. The alcoholic extracts prepared from many parts of punica granatum (pericarp, leaves, flowers, seeds) showed different antibacterial effect against Clostridium perfringens type(D),whereas the studied antibiotics had not shown any antibacterial effect, except Clindamycin which showed partial effectiveness.