ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF POMEGRANATE (PUNICA GRATANUM) EXTRACT AGAINST URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS (UTI) PATHOGENS

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), the second most common type of infection in the body are one the most serious health problem affecting millions of people each year. The urinary tract infection (UTI) involves infection in the kidneys, urinary bladder or urethra. These are the organs that urine passes through when eliminated from the body. Women are especially prone to UTIs, even though they generally have anatomically and physiologically normal urinary tract. Reasons for this are not yet well understood. These infections can be very serious when they do occur in men; however, UTIs in men are not as common as in women. A urinary tract infection (UTI) also known as Fearnes syndrome is a microbial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Normally, urine is sterile. It is usually free of microbes but does contain fluids, salts and waste products. The main cause agent in at least 90% of uncomplicated infections is Escherichia coli, which live in the bowel (colon) and around the anus. An infection occurs when bacteria get into the bladder or kidney and begin to grow. The infection often starts at the opening of the urethra where the urine leaves the body and moves upward into the urinary tract. The Pomegranate was once named as the “most medicinal fruit in the world”. In the present paper, health benefits of this fruit have been showed and proved. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were present in different parts of Punica granatum. Decreasing order of extract against UTI pathogens were PE > FE> WFE > BRE> LE > RE > SE respectively. The results of this study could provide efficacious and cost effective treatment of the UTI without any harmful effects on human