Humboldt Journal of Microbiology
Abstract
Bacteria present in the human gut microbiota are affected by compounds with antimicrobial properties. Phenolic compounds extracted from plants have been shown to exhibit significant antimicrobial capacity at certain concentrations, which makes them an area of interest to researchers. Ellagic acid is one such phenolic compound, present in nuts and berries that many people consume on a regular basis. Supplements containing concentrated ellagic acid provide an additional source for the compound. It is known that, in the body, ellagic acid is metabolized into urolithins, which contribute to health through their anticancer and anti-inflammatory qualities. In this study, we investigated the ability of ellagic acid to inhibit growth of bacteria common in the human gut microbiome and determined the concentrations at which it is most effective in doing so. We found that, despite being polyphenolic, ellagic acid had no visible inhibitory effect on the bacterial species that were tested.
Recommended Citation
Schuhmann, Noah S.; McLaughlin, Andrew; and Barrera, Julian
(2025)
"Assessing Antimicrobial Properties of Plant-derived Ellagic Acid Supplements,"
Humboldt Journal of Microbiology: Vol. 24, Article 8.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/hjm/vol24/iss1/8