Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Jeffery Pruet and Danielle Orozco-Nunnelly

College

College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

Discipline(s)

Biology, Chemistry, Botany

ORCID Identifier(s)

0000-0003-3381-0504, 0000-0002-6100-4633,

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-24-2025

Abstract

According to the W.H.O., infectious diseases account for three of the top ten global causes of death. Antimicrobial drug discovery surged in the mid-twentieth century but has sharply declined in recent years. At the same time, antimicrobial-resistant “superbug” infections are on the rise. Plants produce a robust array of novel metabolic compounds including many antimicrobial agents. However, with the advent of modern antibiotic drugs, natural plant-derived antibiotic sources have largely been left unexplored. Therefore, our work focuses on screening under explored medicinal plants in hopes of discovering novel antimicrobial drugs. To accomplish this, we have been testing extracts of plants found in the Valparaiso University medicinal garden for their effects against 12 microorganisms, both fungal and bacterial, of interest. To date, methanolic and hexane extracts of aerial, reproductive, and root portions of 15 unique plants have been screened, with five plants showing promising activity levels, including chokeberry, raspberry, lavender, yarrow, and calendula. Antimicrobial activities of the most active plant extracts are presented herein. Chokeberry methanol extracts have begun to be separated using column chromatography techniques to determine the specific antimicrobial compounds through analytical chemistry methods. These data highlight the importance of plants as an invaluable pharmaceutical resource at a time when antimicrobial drug discovery has plateaued.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

As undergraduate researchers embarking on this project, we share a common foundation and aspirations in the world of science. We are all pursuing degrees in biology and chemistry, disciplines that provide us with a strong understanding of the natural world at both the molecular and organismal levels. Our interest in this particular project stems from a shared curiosity about plants and their medicinal properties.

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