Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi borborsmart 508,

Please explore following website for general information on Echinecea specis for their medical properties to treat various illness. You could use this info as introduction for background research.
http://www.cdfin.iastate.edu/botanical/echinacea.htm

Its natural habitat in Echinacea is common throughout the North American plains and woodlands, and is native to Ohio and Iowa south to Louisiana and Georgia. The plant is also being cultivated in parts of Europe.

Following method you could use for extraction proceedure. This experiment needs sterile filter discs, agar plates and bacterial culture to do the essay as given below. You don't need microscope for this project.

Ethnobotany is the study of the relationship between plants and cultures. In this project, you will attempt to identify plants with medicinal properties and possibly isolate the active ingredient in these plants. After doing some background research to find plant species that might be promising, you will perform extractions on plant tissues and use a bioassay to determine if these extracts have antibacterial or antifungal activity.

The extraction procedure is fairly simple: a specified mass of the chosen plant material is mixed with a specified volume of water, crushed and boiled (or not boiled) for 5 minutes, then filtered to remove plant debris. This extract can then be placed on sterile filter paper discs which are laid on top of an agar plate that has been spread with bacteria or fungus. If the extract has antibacterial (or antifungal) properties, a “zone of inhibition� will appear as a halo around the disc, indicating that bacteria (or fungi) did not grow in the presence of the extract. The width of the zone of inhibition can be used as a rough measurement of how effective the extract is at inhibiting microbial growth.

This help you intially how to set up the experiment and if you need further assistance please repost with specifics of it.

Do You think this experiment setup could work for different species of echinecea, like Purpurea and Angustifolia on bacterial cultures of E.coli ?If so could you please tell me the materials I would need and why I need them or what it's used for.

Where can I get Echinecea and how do I get E.coli ?

thanks alot, you really helped me

In addition to given information, please note that you could use any species of Echinacea for your project. I found following website for purchasing plant for your project.
http://classygroundcovers.com/cat----EC ... acea-plant

Bacterial culture you can purchase from Carolina Biological supply catalog. Following link given helps you to purchase the product.
http://www.411learn.com/link_in_frame.php?link=155

Material needed:
1. Echinacea purpura
2. Agar plates
3. Bactrial culture
4. Water for extraction
5. Hot plate
6. Sterile discs or filter paper
7. Test tubes or babyfood jars
8. Cotton swabs
9. Ruler to measure halo zones formation

You need atleast 10 agar plates for this experiment with experimental control where you don't add the plant extract, to compare the data.

I hope this helps:)

Thanks alot now I know what I am really doing, thank you very much, if I have any questions I will post you

Thanks alot now I know what I am really doing, thank you very much, if I have any questions I will post you

How many agar plates do you think I would need if my variables are 3 and you can give me your opinion
Variable - Echinecea Pupura
control-nothing just the culture
is this okay, or do you have any suggestions for my varible and control?


because I'm confused, am I supposed to have 2 variables and one

control? If I had two variables it would be like comparing the two species,

which I would like to do next year, so I chose one species

ooh, I got an idea, since Echinecea is used for treating cough or cold ,I could use (instead of E.coli) a bacteria that causes cold, and find a mordern cold medicine for my second variable to use on the Bacteria
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Do I need a special ruler to measure the Halo formation

How long do you think I could do this for?
could you please tell me the purpose of the hot plate,test tubes and cotton swabs?

thanks alot

Hello,

I suggest you to follow the procedure and instructions given to you in my earlier postings. Try experiment with 2 variables - plant extract and control. You don't need any special ruler to measure the halo formation.

Good Luck!