Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Biochemistry (not Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics)
Session: 2
Room: Harding
Jade Pinnock - Howard University
Co-Author(s): Dr. Josepha Foba, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon; Dr. Vicky Beckley, University fo Buea, Buea, Cameroon; Golda Shu, Unviersity of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
This experiment looks at the antimicrobial properties of pectin, and its ability to be used to fight off bacteria such as E. coli and Staph aureus. The pectin was derived from a banana peel indigenous to the region in which the experiment was conducted. The pectin was extracted during a previous experiment and then refrigerated until it was used in this experiment. Agar disc diffusion was the method used to determine antimicrobial bacteria, and ciprofloxacin discs were used as the control group for this experiment. The results obtained concluded that pectin does contain some antimicrobial properties, however, the zones of inhibition were not large enough to determine complete susceptibility of the bacteria to the pectin. The zones of inhibition surrounding the Staph aureus were larger than the zones surrounding the E. coli.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Funding for this research was provided by the NSF HBCU-UP award number 1238466
Faculty Advisor: Sharon Evans, sharon.evans@howard.edu
Role: I prepared the pectin suspension as well as conducted the test for antimicrobial properties within the pectin. The method used was the agar disc-diffusion method.