The Effectiveness of Local versus Imported Garlic on E. Coli
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Secondary School
Institution
Project Lead The Way - Kentucky
KY House District #
14
KY Senate District #
8
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Dr. Chad Wilkerson
Abstract
Garlic has known antibacterial effects, but not much is known as to possible factors that might make slight differences in these effects. One such difference could be due to location of growth (i.e. imported versus local garlic). An experiment was designed to test the antibacterial effects of local versus imported garlic. Local garlic was found from a family farm in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, while our imported garlic was from Mexico. In this experiment, we grew E. coli and tested it using alcoholic extracts. In addition, we had another plate of discs that had been dropped in only methanol for control purposes. Data was collected by finding the zone of inhibition. Bacteria was smeared on agar plates and grew multiple colonies covering the whole plate. Paper discs were saturated with extracts from local or imported garlic then placed on bacteria-containing agar plates. The zone of inhibition is characterized by no growth surrounding the garlic disc. The data collected showed that locally grown garlic is slightly more effective at killing E. coli than imported garlic. The average zone of inhibition for locally grown garlic was 1.8mm for the first trial and 1.8mm for the second trial. The average zone of inhibition for imported garlic was 1.5mm for the first trial and 1.6mm for the second trial. The experiment was shown to be reproducible, but due to time constraints, we could not perform a third trial to increase statistical significance. Results point to garlic being the easier way to treat bacteria that are multi-resistant and to slow down, and possibly, stop the growing antibiotic resistance problem we face.
The Effectiveness of Local versus Imported Garlic on E. Coli
Garlic has known antibacterial effects, but not much is known as to possible factors that might make slight differences in these effects. One such difference could be due to location of growth (i.e. imported versus local garlic). An experiment was designed to test the antibacterial effects of local versus imported garlic. Local garlic was found from a family farm in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, while our imported garlic was from Mexico. In this experiment, we grew E. coli and tested it using alcoholic extracts. In addition, we had another plate of discs that had been dropped in only methanol for control purposes. Data was collected by finding the zone of inhibition. Bacteria was smeared on agar plates and grew multiple colonies covering the whole plate. Paper discs were saturated with extracts from local or imported garlic then placed on bacteria-containing agar plates. The zone of inhibition is characterized by no growth surrounding the garlic disc. The data collected showed that locally grown garlic is slightly more effective at killing E. coli than imported garlic. The average zone of inhibition for locally grown garlic was 1.8mm for the first trial and 1.8mm for the second trial. The average zone of inhibition for imported garlic was 1.5mm for the first trial and 1.6mm for the second trial. The experiment was shown to be reproducible, but due to time constraints, we could not perform a third trial to increase statistical significance. Results point to garlic being the easier way to treat bacteria that are multi-resistant and to slow down, and possibly, stop the growing antibiotic resistance problem we face.