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The Antibacterial Activity of Apigenin

Undergraduate #99
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Microbiology/Immunology/Virology

Alessandra Bliss - Ohio State University
Co-Author(s): Marcelo S. F. Pereira, Daniel Arango, and Andrea I. Doseff



Sepsis is a potentially fatal disease that results from an unregulated immune response to infection or injury and is extremely difficult to predict, diagnose and treat. Plant-derived compounds called flavonoids are emerging as possible treatments for sepsis due to their anti-inflammatory properties, lack of adverse effects and reduced costs. Currently, the molecular mechanisms of many of the flavonoids remain unclear, thus limiting the clinical significance of these easily accessible immune regulators. Our lab is currently exploring the anti-inflammatory properties of apigenin in a mouse model of sepsis. Apigenin is a flavonoid that is present in many foods including parsley, spinach and celery. Mice induced into septic shock were subsequently treated with apigenin and experienced survival rates 45% greater than mice without the apigenin treatment. The mechanism behind this improved survival is unknown. Thus our main goals are to determine whether apigenin is able to kill bacteria directly or whether apigenin improves bacterial clearance by aiding macrophages in phagocytosis or by stimulating cytotoxic activity in cells. By better understanding the anti-inflammatory properties of the flavonoid apigenin, researchers can further develop more cost efficient and accessible treatment to inflammatory diseases like sepsis.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation

Faculty Advisor: Andrea Doseff, andrea.doseff@osumc.edu

Role: I tested the flavonoid Apigenin in growing cultures of bacteria and measured the growth of the bacteria using a spectrophotometer. I then compiled the growth information from three different strains of bacteria with varying concentrations of Apigenin and put my information on a graph.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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