Ashley Sciame

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Clore, Amy

Area of Concentration

Biology with Chemistry

Abstract

Many succulents are known to have healing properties, including antibiotic activity. In this study, the sap of Sedum nussbaumerianum, a previously untested succulent for the latter activity, was collected from crushed leaves, dried to three times its original concentration in a vacuum concentrator, and used to soak paper disks. These disks were placed in the center of nutrient agar Petri dishes inoculated with either Bacillus cereus or Escherichia coli bacteria. Zones of inhibition were measured around the disks soaked with the concentrated sap and were found to be significantly larger than those around control disks for both B. cereus and E. coli.. Next, flavonoid extracts were made from the concentrated sap using an ethanol: water solution, a sonicator bath, and a period of centrifugation, and the previously stated disk-soaking and zone of inhibition measurement procedure was repeated. The zones of inhibition surrounding extract-soaked disks were not significantly larger than those around controls for either bacterium. Further studies should be done to verify the presence of flavonoids in the extracts and to test for other possible sap components. Possible uses for S. nussbaumerianum antibiotic sap components could include further isolation and use in the pharmaceutical industry as a possible intestinal antibiotic.

Download

Share

COinS