Effect of hydroalcoholic extracts of flower and fruit peel of Punica granatum on Leishmania major promastigotes in vitro

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is one of the endemic parasitic diseases in many regions of Iran for which there is currently no complete vaccine and effective drugs without drug resistance to prevent and treat it. Given the need to develop new drugs for the treatment of various diseases with fewer side effects, greater effects with shorter treatment periods, especially in anti-leishmaniasis drug compounds for drug-resistant types of the disease, it is essential to do research on plant compounds containing medicinal compounds to promote the treatment of this infection. The present study was performed to compare the in vitro effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of flower and fruit peel of Punica granatum on Leishmania major promastigotes. Different dilutions of hydroalcoholic extracts of flower and fruit peel of P. granatum were prepared by the maceration method and their in vitro effects on L. major promastigote were investigated using MTT assay. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22. The results showed that both hydroalcoholic extracts of flower and fruit peel of P. granatum could inhibit the parasite, but the extract fruit peel of P. granatum showed anti-leishmaniasis activity at lower concentrations compared to extract flower of P. granatum. The hydroalcoholic extracts of flower and fruit peel of P. granatum could inhibit the parasite, that probably due to the presence of some compounds such as ellagic acid with antioxidant properties and punicalagin with antimicrobial properties especially in fruit peel extract of P. granatum.