| Summary: | Pomegranate (<i>Punica granatum</i> L.) fruits are important sources of vitamins and minerals and widely used in the dietary supplement industry. An aqueous extract of its leathery exocarp (LEP) was obtained by a solid-phase micro-extraction method. The antifungal activity was examined against the phytopathogenic fungi, <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i>, <i>Phytophthora cinnamomi</i>, <i>Penicillium digitatum</i> and <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, and the antibacterial activity was evaluated against <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Xanthomonas campestris,</i><i>Bacillus megaterium</i> and <i>Clavibacter michiganensis</i>. The antimicrobial assays showed, in some cases, a promising antimicrobial effect compared to the synthetic drugs. The possible anti-acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities of the LEP extract were investigated by the Ellman’s assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, respectively, and their results showed that the LEP extract has an effective anti-acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect and an antioxidant activity. Thus, the LEP extract could be valid as a candidate for further studies on the use of pomegranate in neurodegenerative diseases as a food preservative and a suitable substitute to control several phytopathogens.
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