Sustainable Dry Crude Pomegranate Peel Extract as a Bio-input for Medicinal Gels: A Promising Alternative for Wound Healing

The sustainable use of pomegranate peel, a by-product of the food industry, is gaining importance in developing pharmaceutical bio-inputs, aligning with circular economy practices and waste reduction. This study explores the application of dry crude pomegranate peel extract (PPE) as a bio-input for medicinal gels with wound healing properties. PPE was extracted via percolation in ethanol and freeze-dried. High-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry identified key bioactive compounds: gallic acid, punicalagin, punicalin, ellagic acid, and citric acid, recognized for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and healing properties. In vitro assays revealed low hemolytic activity, non-cytotoxicity, significant fibroblast proliferation, and robust antioxidant activity (95.99% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging at 100 µg/mL). A carbomer gel containing 2.5% w/w of the extract effectively promoted wound healing in rats, with performance comparable to that of silver sulfadiazine ointment, while demonstrating no microbial contamination during the process. These findings position PPE as a promising, sustainable, and effective alternative for wound-care pharmacotherapy, addressing both medical needs and environmental sustainability.