36th Annual Student Research Conference
Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation to Isolate Antimicrobial Compounds From Plantago rugelii
Katelyn E. Hopkins
Dr. Robert D. Sieg, Faculty Mentor
Our research lab has performed various chemical fractionation steps guided by microbial assays to try to isolate the chemical compound responsible for Plantago rugelii’s antimicrobial activity. P. rugelii are weedy plants commonly found in parks and open spaces and thus serve as an excellent study system for researching factors that influence plant resource allocation. After collecting “damaged” and “healthy” plant samples around campus, plant secondary metabolites were extracted using methanol, followed by subsequent liquid-liquid partitioning and solid-phase extraction (SPE). Plant compounds were tested against two species of bacteria that were chosen because they are similar to common, harmful bacteria but do not pose the same health risks to us. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to get a general idea of the composition of active fractions, but we were not able to isolate a pure compound due to time constraints.
Keywords: bioassay-guided fractionation, plant-pathogen dynamics, antimicrobial compounds, chemical ecology
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 207-2
Location: MG 2001
Time: 10:30