Pomegranate (Punica granatum), an ancient and well-recognized fruit, is highly valued in traditional medicine and the food industry for its rich composition of phytochemicals. This research investigated the effect of freeze-drying (FD) and oven-drying (OD) on the aroma profile and antibacterial activity of pomegranate seed essential oils (EOs). The aromatic compounds were evaluated using four different extraction techniques—hydrodistillation (HD), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), and simultaneous hydrodistillation extraction (SHDE) for comparison. Antibacterial activity of the EO was tested in 7 microorganisms, including 3 Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus), 3 Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae), and yeast (Candida albicans). A total 93 compounds (FD) and 55 compounds (OD) were identified, belonging to groups such as carbonyls, fatty acids, esters, furans, alcohols, lactones, and other unspecified categories. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the antimicrobial properties of the EOs between the two drying methods. E. coli exhibited the highest resistance to the tested EOs as its growth remained uninhibited. K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa demonstrated resistance, with no inhibitory effects observed except at the highest concentrations tested (4550 µg∙g⁻¹ and 4580 µg∙g⁻¹). Among the Gram-positive bacteria, S. aureus was inhibited at 4550 µg∙g⁻¹ and 4580 µg∙g⁻¹, B. cereus at 4550 µg∙g⁻¹ and 2425–4580 µg∙g⁻¹, and E. faecalis at 2275 µg∙g⁻¹ and 2425–4850 µg∙g⁻¹, while C. albicans was the most susceptible (1138 µg∙g⁻¹ and 1213 µg∙g⁻¹). SFE proved effective in extracting fatty acids, particularly saturated fatty acids (SFAs), while HD and SHDE were most effective in extracting carbonyl compounds.

A blend with pumpkin and sunflower seed flours was prepared and dried at 41.5 °C for 5 h to create a minimally heat-treated blend for a raw food diet. The blend was inoculated with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Fusarium langsethiae to assess the effect of L. acidophilus on Fusarium growth and mycotoxin production. Drying did not affect the content of naturally occurring microorganisms but significantly reduced water activity (p < 0.05) and increased total phenolic content in samples with external microorganisms. Lactobacilli content remained unchanged after drying (4.8 log CFU/g), while F. langsethiae increased by 1.5 log CFU/g. Principal component analysis showed PC1 explained 95.1% of total variance, driven by Fusarium mycotoxin production. A significant difference in total mycotoxin was found between samples with F. langsethiae alone and those with both F. langsethiae and L. acidophilus (p < 0.05). Lactic acid bacteria could reduce fusarium mycotoxin risk in raw food diet mixtures.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural biopolymer widely used in wound dressings for its supportive role in the healing process. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of microorganisms in chronic wounds and evaluated the antimicrobial activity of newly synthesized HA–Starch-based materials enriched with acidifying agents. Microbial isolates obtained from chronic wounds were tested for susceptibility using the agar diffusion method. The prepared materials exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against both reference strains and multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Further characterization by scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis confirmed uniform microfiber morphology and the expected elemental composition of the fibers. Cytotoxicity assessments performed using the xCELLigence system demonstrated the potential safety of developed materials. Overall, the results indicate that HA–Starch-based materials containing acidifying compounds exhibit strong in vitro antimicrobial activity against chronic-wound isolates, supporting their potential for further evaluation in wound care applications.