Presentation Type
Poster
Keywords
Jenny Min, Chemistry, nutritional sciences, Antibacterial Compounds, Artemisia californica, medicinal plants
Department
Chemistry
Major
Chemistry and Nutritional Science
Abstract
The Chumash Native Americans of Southern California have well-documented traditions of using plants for medicinal purposes. If a specific plant has traditionally been used by Chumash for the treatment of cuts, wounds and infections, it may contain chemicals with anti-bacterial properties. One plant that fits these criteria is Artemisia californica (coastal sage). Because of the widespread use of antibiotics over the past sixty years bacteria are evolving greater resistance to known antibiotics, but unfortunately the rate of antibiotic discovery has diminished during the past twenty years. Therefore, novel and effective antibiotics are essential for the continued treatment of bacterial infections. A target-specific anti-bacterial assay was used to identify compounds from A. californica that inhibited bacterial growth by inhibiting the FabI enzyme. Compounds which demonstrate decreased potency against a bacterial strain over-expressing FabI compared to a control strain have been isolated and characterized. The decreased activity in the over-expressing FabI strain suggests that the mode of action of this flavonoid is FabI inhibition.
Faculty Mentor
Matt Joyner
Funding Source or Research Program
Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Location
Waves Cafeteria, Tyler Campus Center
Start Date
21-3-2014 2:00 PM
End Date
21-3-2014 3:00 PM
Included in
Isolation of Antibacterial Compounds from Artemisia californica
Waves Cafeteria, Tyler Campus Center
The Chumash Native Americans of Southern California have well-documented traditions of using plants for medicinal purposes. If a specific plant has traditionally been used by Chumash for the treatment of cuts, wounds and infections, it may contain chemicals with anti-bacterial properties. One plant that fits these criteria is Artemisia californica (coastal sage). Because of the widespread use of antibiotics over the past sixty years bacteria are evolving greater resistance to known antibiotics, but unfortunately the rate of antibiotic discovery has diminished during the past twenty years. Therefore, novel and effective antibiotics are essential for the continued treatment of bacterial infections. A target-specific anti-bacterial assay was used to identify compounds from A. californica that inhibited bacterial growth by inhibiting the FabI enzyme. Compounds which demonstrate decreased potency against a bacterial strain over-expressing FabI compared to a control strain have been isolated and characterized. The decreased activity in the over-expressing FabI strain suggests that the mode of action of this flavonoid is FabI inhibition.