Date of Submission

Fall 2024

Academic Program

Biology

Project Advisor 1

Brooke Jude

Abstract/Artist's Statement

The growing threat of antibiotic resistance continues to strain public health and healthcare systems, particularly impacting vulnerable populations with co-morbidities. As conventional antibiotics lose effectiveness, there is an urgent need to explore alternative antimicrobial compounds from natural sources. This study investigates the potential of Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) bark extracts to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria from the ESKAPE panel, a group of pathogens responsible for many hospital-acquired infections, and infections of chronic wounds. Red Oak bark (ROB) extracts were prepared using deionized water, isopropyl, and ethanol solvents, with the efficacy of only isopropyl and aqueous extracts tested on Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assays, against resistant strains. Isopropyl extracts exhibited the largest zones of inhibition, particularly against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp., with an average increase of 4.46 mm over aqueous extracts (p < 0.05). Statistical analysis confirmed a significant interaction between the type of extract and the bacterial species. Chemical analysis of the extracts was performed using rotary evaporation and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify active compounds. This study aims to provide a foundation for future research into natural antimicrobial agents and their potential applications as low-cost alternatives to traditional antibiotics, particularly in resource-limited settings. Future work will focus on optimizing extraction techniques and evaluating the clinical potential of ROB-based treatments.

Open Access Agreement

On-Campus only

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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