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PI<ACTICAL - THE A.NTIMICROBL\L PROPER1'lFdL()F

PLANTS

AIl\lI: To investigate the antimicrobial properties of plants.

Bi\CKGROUND

Plants are susceptible to infection by ,bacteria and fungi. Several plants, including
garlic, 1'!!il1t,onion, oregano, cinnamon and cumin are known to destroy or inhibit
the growth of certain bacteria. A plant with this property is described as
antimicrobial. Chemicals in the cel1s of these plants are toxic to bacteria or
interfere with their metabolism in some way.

In this activity you will investigate whether several plants contain antimicrobial
chemicals and how effective they are in looking at the growth of bacteria on agar
/
.- plates.

HYPOTHESIS (suggest with reasons what you might expect to observe on the
plates. Use scientific knowledge to suppOliyour prediction).

EQUIP1VIENT

(1, , Agar plate with bacteria plant material pestle and mortar

* 10cm3 industrial a1cohol sterile pipette paper discs

Ij;
Sterile petri dish sterile forceps tape marker pen

1$ Incubator set at 25(\C test-tube filter paper hole punch

 JVIETHOD

1. Obtain a plant extract by cnlshing 3g of garlic withJ.Ocm3 of industrial

a1coholusing a pestle and mortar.
2. Pour the extract into a test-tube,and shake periodically for 10 minutes.
3. Pipette 0.1% of the extract onto a sterile filter paper disc (cut out using a
hole punch).
4. Let the paper discs dry for 10 minutes on open sterile petri dishes.
5. Decide on a suitable 'control'.
6. Use sterile forceps to place the test discs onto the bacterial plate with the
control (there should be 3 garlic discs and the control per petri dish).
7. Closethe petri dish and tape down. Do not tape all round as this will cause
anaerobic bacteria to grow as well as stopping the grm¥1:hof aerobic
bacteria. .
8. Repeat the above steps with the other extracts.
9. Incubate the plates for 24 hours at 25°C.

. .
RISK ASSESSMENT

(a) Keep alcohol (inflammable) away from naked flames.

(b) Do not open petri dishes containing growing microorganisms.
Cc)Use aseptic techniques. .
(d) Only dispose of used petri dishes after they have been autoclaved.

RELIABILITY AND ACCURACY OF RESULTS (how will you ensure that

the results are accurate and reliable? How will you ensure that measurements are
precise, accurate and repeatable?).

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