TestingPlantSubstancesasPotentialMedicines

Background:

Almosteverysingleorganism,ispronetosomekindofdisease.Atsomepointin
theirlives,theycouldbeexposedtoabacteria,fungi,orvirusthatcouldimpacttheirhealth.
Muchofthemedicineweusetotreatdiseasesandsuch,isderivedfromplants.Someplants
produceantimicrobialagentsthatcankilldifferentbacterias.Butinordertobeabletosafely
usesomeoftheseplantsformedicineuseonhumans,theplantorplantderivative,mustgo
throughaseriesoftestsandobservationstoensurethattheplantwillnotbetoxictohumans.
Allinall,wewillexploretheseareaswithdepthanddetail,tolearnmoreabouttheworldof
plantsandmedicine.

Purpose/Objective:
Whatplantmaterialsfoundlocallycontainactiveingredientsthatwillhelp
thegrowthofbacteria?
Toteachyouhowtowriteaformallabreport.

Materials:
Leavesorbark
Coffeefilter
Balance
LBbrothbase
mediabottles,250Ml
Sterilizer
WaterBAth37,shaking
SterileLBagar
Laminarflowhood&disinfectant
Glasses,safety,plastic
Bunsenburner
Gaslighter
Inoculatingloop
Ni/Crwire
Petridishes
e.coli
mortarandpestle
pipet10mL
Plasticfunnels
beakers
Syringe,10mL.andfilter,0.2m.
Reactiontubesandrack,1.7mL.
Methanol,Absolute
Pipet,1ml.andpump
Dryblockheater/heatblock
Forceps,finetipped
Ampicillin

Glassspreader
Incubatoroven,37

Procedure:
1. 2gramsofplantmatterweregroundupinawatersolution,filteredthroughafilterdisk,
thenfiltersterilized.Thesolutionwasstoredinaneppendorftube.
2. 2gramsofthesameplantmatterweregroundupinamethanolsolution,filteredthrough
afilterdisk,thenfiltersterilized.Thesolutionwasstoredinaneppendorftube.
3. 3piecesofsterilefilterpaperwereplacedineacheppendorftube.
4. 2petridishesweresectionedoffinto4quadrantsbyusingasharpieanddrawinga+
onthebottomthennumberedandlabeled.
5. Bothpetridisheswerefilledwithagar.
6. 2piecesoffilterpaperwereplacedintoaneppendorftubecontainingampicillin,and2
piecesoffilterpaperwereplacedintoaneppendorftubecontainingwater.
7. Keepingthemethanolandwaterextractsindifferentpetridishes,The
Results
:
Day1:
MethPlate
:Q4hasmostBacteriaGrowth,allotherqshaveminimalbutsomebacteria
growth.Ringsarearoundallsamplesintheagarplate.
WaterPlate
:Clearancehasdevelopedaroundthepositivecontrolandthenegative
controlisshowingnoclearance.Sampleoneisalsoshowingnoclearance.Samples2and3
arejustbarelyshowingclearance

Day2:
MethPlate
:Q4hasmostclearance,allothershavelessbutsome.
WaterPlate
:Negativecontrolshowingnoclearance,Positivecontrolshowinglotsof
clearance.Sampleoneisshowingverylittle,samples2and3areshowingmoderate
clearance.

Day3:
MethPlate
:Q4hasmostclearance(ampicillin),allothersarerelativelysimilar
WaterPlate
:Quadrants1and2haveamoredevelopedlawn.Sampleonestillhas
minimalclearance,sample2anhard3havealotofclearance.Thenegativeandpositivesand
controlsareshowingnoclearanceandlotsofclearance,respectively.

Analysis/Conclusions:

MethPlate:Wesawaclearingaroundthethepositivecontrol(ampicillin.)Itwasnot
substantial,butitwasdefinitelysomething.Itlookedlikeacleargapbetweenthepaperandthe
gel.Wedidseeabacteriallawngrowuptothedisk.Waterwouldnotbeexpectedtohave

antimicrobialactivitybecausewaterisanecessityforlife,thereforealotofbacteriawillgrowin
water.My

Day1

Day2

Day3

WaterSolution

Clearancehas
developedaround
thepositivecontrol
andthenegative
controlisshowingno
clearance.Sample
oneisalsoshowing
noclearance.
Samples2and3are
justbarelyshowing
clearance

Negativecontrol
showingno
clearance,Positive
controlshowinglots
ofclearance.
Sampleoneis
showingverylittle,
samples2and3are
showingmoderate
clearance.

Quadrants1and2
haveamore
developedlawn.
Sampleonestillhas
minimalclearance,
sample2anhard3
havealotof
clearance.The
negativeand
positivesandcontrols
areshowingno
clearanceandlotsof
clearance,
respectively.

MethanolSolution

Quadrent4hasmost
BacteriaGrowth,all
otherqshave
minimalbutsome
bacteriagrowth.
Ringsarearoundall
samplesintheagar
plate.

Quadrant4hasmost
clearance,allothers
havelessbutsome.

Quadrant4hasmost
clearance
(ampicillin),allothers
arerelativelysimilar