• Anti-fungal effect of aqueous Pomegranate peel (Punica granatum) extract against Candida albicans compared with nystatin: An in vitro study
  • Fatemeh Amirinia,1,*
    1. Dental Research Center, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.


  • Introduction: Introduction: Oral infections created by Candida species are widely increasing. One of the topical treatments for oral candidiasis is nystatin. Since the anti-fungal treatments normally have adverse effects and cause drug resistance, the use of appropriate strategies to replace synthetic drugs to eliminate these problems has been considered. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of aqueous Pomegranate peel (Punica granatum) extract with nystatin on Candida albicans.
  • Methods: Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, hydroalcoholic extract of Punica granatum peel was prepared at concentrations of 4, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.25 and 0.12 mg/ml. C. albicans ATCC 10231 was cultured in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) medium, and in each culture plate, one disk containing each concentration of plant extract, one 100-unit nystatin disc as positive control and one distilled water disks as negative control were placed. After 24 hours, the mean diameter of the inhibition zone of different concentrations of Punica granatum peel extract and nystatin was compared by one-way ANOVA test.
  • Results: Results: The mean diameters of inhibition zone Punica granatum peel extract at the concentrations of 4 and 2 mg/ml were 32 and 24 mm, respectively, whiles the diameter of inhibition zone of nystatin disc was 20 mm. The results showed that by increasing the concentration of Punica granatum peel extract, the diameter of the inhibition zone increased. The inhibition zone diameter of the highest concentration of Punica granatum peel extract was significantly different with nystatin (p > 0.05)
  • Conclusion: Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Punica granatum peel extract could be considered as a suitable candidate for the elimination of oral infections caused by C. albicans.
  • Keywords: Keywords: Candida albicans, Nystatin, Pomegranate peel (Punica granatum)