Could Pomegranate Peel Be Veterinary Medicine's Next Sustainable Phytobiotic?

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

A sweeping new review digs into decades of research on pomegranate's antimicrobial, antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory potential across nearly every species vets treat.

Antimicrobial resistance, parasite resistance, and the push for more sustainable alternatives to synthetic drugs are three of the biggest headaches in animal health right now, and a new comprehensive review published in Veterinary Sciences makes the case that an unexpected fruit byproduct might help address all three: pomegranate.

The review, led by researchers affiliated with the Local Health Authority of Foggia, Temple University, the University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, the University of Siena, and the Sbarro Health Research Organization, pulled together evidence spanning studies published between 1990 and June 2026 across PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The result is a species-by-species picture of where pomegranate-derived compounds already show real promise, and where the science still has real gaps.

Why Pomegranate, Specifically

Pomegranate's appeal comes down to its phytochemical density. The fruit, and especially its peel, is rich in punicalagins, ellagic acid, anthocyanins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and punicic acid, a combination linked in the literature to antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, liver-supporting, and wound-healing effects.

That is a long list of properties for one plant, and it is exactly why researchers across human and veterinary medicine keep circling back to it.

What the Evidence Shows, Species by Species

In poultry, pomegranate peel products incorporated into feed have been linked to improved production performance, better antioxidant status, stronger humoral immunity, and anticoccidial activity. In ruminants, preparations have shown antiparasitic effects against gastrointestinal nematodes, along with potential benefits for preserving semen quality during cryopreservation. Aquaculture is another bright spot, with pomegranate-derived preparations demonstrating antiparasitic activity against gill monogeneans plus antimicrobial and antioxidant effects.

For companion animal medicine, the evidence is earlier-stage but notable: emerging research points to potential applications in leishmaniasis, inflammatory disease, and wound management, areas where practitioners are always looking for adjunct options alongside conventional treatment.

Turning an Agricultural Byproduct Into a Phytobiotic

One of the more compelling threads in the review is sustainability. Pomegranate peel is an abundant agricultural and food-processing residue that already retains high concentrations of bioactive compounds, meaning its use as a phytobiotic ingredient could double as a resource-efficiency and circular-economy win, not just an animal-health one.

Pomegranate represents a particularly compelling example of how traditional knowledge can be investigated through modern biomedical and veterinary science, said co-author Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., professor at Temple University and founder and director of SHRO.

Giordano was clear, though, that promising lab findings are not the same as clinical readiness. He pointed to the need for standardized preparations, species-specific pharmacokinetic profiles, robust safety data, and well-designed clinical studies before pomegranate-derived products can move from interesting research to something vets actually reach for.

What's Standing in the Way

The review is refreshingly candid about the barriers. Commercially available pomegranate preparations vary widely in phytochemical composition depending on cultivar, growing practices, processing, extraction method, and storage, which makes consistent dosing a real challenge until standardized veterinary-grade formulations exist.

Bioavailability is another open question. Compounds like punicalagin get broken down in the gut and metabolized by intestinal microbiota into urolithins, and since gut microbiota differ substantially across species, that means dosing that works in one animal may not translate cleanly to another. The authors are calling for dedicated pharmacokinetic studies in ruminants, monogastric animals, and carnivores specifically, plus more controlled clinical trials in naturally affected animals rather than relying mainly on in vitro and preclinical data.

Where Research Goes Next

The review points to micro- and nanoencapsulation as promising formulation strategies for improving bioavailability and targeted delivery, along with potential combination approaches pairing pomegranate compounds with conventional pharmaceuticals or other phytobiotics. Aquaculture, in particular, is flagged as a strong area for continued research given the environmental push for sustainable alternatives in aquatic animal health.

The bottom line from the researchers: pomegranate is one of the more pharmacologically versatile phytobiotics currently under investigation for veterinary use, but the evidence base is still heterogeneous and largely preclinical. The proposed path forward runs through standardization, pharmacokinetic and toxicological evaluation, formulation optimization, and eventually controlled clinical validation, the same translational pipeline any credible new therapeutic has to clear before it earns a place in routine practice.

Source: Bava, R. et al., "Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) in Veterinary Medicine," Veterinary Sciences (2026), DOI: 10.3390/vetsci13080832; provided by Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), via Phys.org.