Grape pomace kills bacteria

LONDON, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Grape pomace extract, from the leftovers of wine-making, is an effective anti-microbial agent that can destroy pathogens, Turkish scientists found.

Grape pomace is made of grape seeds, skin and stems and is a rich source of polyphenols, researchers from Erciyes University and Suleyman Demirel University said. Phenolic substances reduce heart disease and cancer risk, and pomace already is used as a by-product of wine-making to produce foods such as vinegar and molasses, researchers said.

According to the study published by the Society of Chemical Industry, based in London, researchers tested pomace from the most popular Turkish grape cultivators, Kalecik karasi and Emir, against 14 types of common bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aereus species.

The grape pomace extracts worked as effective anti-bacterial agents on all bacteria species at a concentration of 5 percent, the study found.

"The extracts can be used in food formulations to protect food against spoilage bacteria," wrote researcher Osman Sagdic. "People prefer natural preservatives in the place of synthetic counterparts in food."