Antimicrobial Effects of Cilantro Essay Example for Free

Antimicrobial Effects of Cilantro Essay A drop of cilantro juice and water in varying concentrations (1:10, 1:20, 1:40, 1:80) was added to a nutrient agar plate inoculated with S. epidermis and a nutrient agar plate inoculated with E. coli. The plates were incubated for 48 hours and then observed for a zone of clearing where the cilantro juice drop was placed. Cilantro was found to not display antimicrobial activity against either bacterium in the experiment in any of the different dilutions. These results could have to do with the possible contamination of cilantro or the specific bacteria we chose to target. Additional studies of cilantro should be conducted on different types of bacteria in order to gain a better understanding of how the herb works as an antimicrobial. Introduction Herbs and spices have been used for many years for their health benefits and antimicrobial properties (Lai amp; Roy, 2004). Cilantro, an herb found in many ethnic food dishes, has been shown to have an antibacterial effect on Salmonella choleraesuis due to the compound dodecanal found in the leaves. Dodecanal was found to be twice as potent as the antibiotic gentamicin that is commonly prescribed for Salmonella infections (Kubo, Fujita, Kubo, Nihei, amp; Ogura, 2004). The antimicrobial properties of cilantro have also been demonstrated against the bacteria’s Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli (Marsh amp; Arriola, 2009). We decided to conduct our own experiment to see if cilantro had any antimicrobial effect on the bacteria’s Staphylococcus epidermis and Escherichia coli. Experiments about the antimicrobial properties of herbs re interesting because their results can affect the way people choose to eat. For example, if a certain herb is found to delay food spoilage then perhaps people will choose to include it more often in their cuisines. Or, if a study finds that an herb has an antibacterial effect on an organism commonly found on produce, perhaps a fruit and vegetable wash could be produced that contains the herb in order to help prevent inf ection. We chose both a gram positive bacterium (S. epidermis) and a gram negative bacterium (E. oli) to see if a bacterial outer membrane would inhibit any antibacterial effect of cilantro. Gram negative bacteria have an outer membrane and gram positive bacteria do not (Tortura, Funke, amp; Case, 2010). We predicted that cilantro would have an antimicrobial effect on S. epidermis but not on E. coli. We inoculated two nutrient agar plates, covering each with one of the bacteria’s, and divided each plate into quarters. We then placed one drop of cilantro juice mixed with water in each of the four sections in different concentrations. This allowed us to see if a minimum concentration of cilantro was needed to produce an antimicrobial effect. We then incubated the plates at 37 degrees Celsius to allow the bacteria to grow and evaluated the plates after 48 hours. We expected to see a clearing of bacteria in at least one of the quadrants of the plate containing S. epidermis and did not expect to see any clearing of bacteria on the E. coli plate. Methods 1. Label one nutrient agar plate S. epidermis and one nutrient agar plate E. coli and divide each plate into quarters. Label each quarter with the different dilutions : 1:10, 1:20, 1:40, and 1:80. 2. Inoculate and label one water blank with S. epidermis and one water blank with E. coli. 3. Create a lawn plate of S. epidermis by dipping the inoculating loop into the water/S. epidermis tube and streaking the loop across the nutrient agar plate labeled S. epidermis. The entire surface of the plate should be inoculated with bacteria by zigzagging the loop across the plate after every quarter turn. After the initial zigzag, the plate should be turned three more times for streaking to be performed. Repeat this process by making a lawn plate of E. coli. 4. Put nine drops of sterile water into one of the depressions of the sterile spot plate using a sterile Pasteur pipette and a third unused sterile water blank. Put five drops of sterile water into three more depressions of the sterile spot plate. 5. Ground cilantro using a mixer or juicer and add the last sterile water blank to the cilantro in order to obtain a drop of cilantro juice. 6. Put the cilantro juice drop into the first depression of the sterile spot plate that already has the nine drops of water in it using a sterile eye dropper. This creates a dilution of cilantro of 1:10 (1 drop cilantro juice out of a total of 10 parts/drops). 7. With the same sterile Pasteur pipet used to add water to the sterile spot plate, mix the cilantro juice and water contained in the first depression of the sterile spot plate. Put one drop of the first depression mixture into the section of the S. epidermis nutrient agar plate labeled 1:10. Repeat this step for the E. coli nutrient agar plate. 8. Using the same first Pasteur pipet, put five drops of the first depression mixture into the second depression of the sterile spot plate. Take a new, second sterile pipet and mix the cilantro juice and water contained in the second depression of the sterile spot plate. Put one drop of the second depression mixture into the section of the S. epidermis nutrient agar plate labeled 1:20. Repeat this step for the E. coli nutrient agar plate. 9. Using the same second Pasteur pipet, put five drops of the second depression mixture into the third depression of the sterile spot plate. Take a new, third sterile pipet and mix the cilantro juice and water contained in the third depression of the sterile spot plate. Put one drop of the third depression mixture into the section of the S. epidermis nutrient agar plate labeled 1:40. Repeat this step for the E. coli nutrient agar plate. 10. Using the same third Pasteur pipet, put five drops of the third depression mixture into the fourth depression of the sterile spot plate. Take a new, fourth sterile pipet and mix the cilantro juice and water contained in the fourth depression of the sterile spot plate. Put one drop of the fourth depression mixture into the section of the S. epidermis nutrient agar plate labeled 1:80. Repeat this step for the E. coli nutrient agar plate. 11. Incubate both nutrient agar plates at thirty seven degrees Celsius for at least forty eight hours. Results Cilantro did not display antimicrobial activity against S. epidermis and E. coli in our experiment. A clear zone where the cilantro juice drop was placed would be indicative of cilantro acting as an antibiotic because bacteria would be cleared from the area. Both the S. epidermis and E. coli lawn plates showed no clearing in any of the four dilution sections (1:10, 1:20, 1:40, 1:80) where a drop of cilantro juice was placed. Interestingly, there was additional microbial growth where the cilantro juice drop was placed.

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace: From the Middle Ages to Today Essay

Sexual Harassment is first traced from the Middle Ages in the feudal era, custom stipulated that all vassals or serfs were required to give their brides to satisfy their masters sexually. The only way this could be avoided was where the bride or the bridegroom paid a specific amount of produce in redemption dues. While this may seem different from sexual harassment on the job, in fact, in feudal times, the feudal lord was the employer of his vassals and serfs, and their brides became his sexual property. The masters appear to have enforced this custom regularly and with great enthusiasm. During slavery, slave women were forced into dual exploitation: as laborers and sexual partners. Their physical labor and their sexual favors belonged to their male masters. Slaves had no legal right to refuse advances from their masters, since legally the concept of raping did not exist. A female slave was frequently used by her owner for his sexual and recreational pleasure. This sexual privilege was a hierarchical right that spilled over to the slave owner's neighbors, visitors, and younger sons eager for initiation into the mysteries of sex. As slavery was replaced by lowly paid domestic help, female servants, particularly the young maids, were often forced to become the sexual playthings of the members of their employers' families. A domestic servant was afforded little privacy, dignity, or freedom to socialize with others. The employer expected sexual favors to go along with the rest of the duties exacted from the domestic servants. The domestic servant who became pregnant could no longer anticipate marriage. If she bore an illegitimate child, she would be dismissed from her job and shunned by society. As a last resort, unemployed dome... ...Lawrence Solotoff, Henry S. Kramer. "Sexual Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace". Law Journal Press, 2015 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), (n.d.). Sexual harassment. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfm Judith Berman Brandenburg. "Confronting Sexual Harassment: What schools and colleges can do". Teachers College Press, 1997 Richard B. Barickman. "Academic and Workplace Sexual Harassment: A Resource Manual" State Univ of New York Press, 1991 Eliza G.C. Collins and Timothy B. Blodgett. "Sexual Harassment†¦Some See It†¦Some Won’t" Harvard Business Review, March 1981. Web. 6 June 2015. https://hbr.org/1981/03/sexual-harassmentsome-see-itsome-wont Barbara A. Gutek. "Sexual Harassment on the Job". 2012. Web. 1 June 2015. http://scholarship.law.nd.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1477&context=ndjlepp

Science and Technology Have Done More Harm Than Good

Science and technology have done more harm than good. There is no doubt that science and technology affected our lives. There are a lot of scientists who are working on different science and modern technology projects these days. However, with the new science and technology developments most people underestimate the damage it gives us. First of all, I would like to say, that with these new science and technical appliances people became to be lazy. They rarely go out to work on foot or by a bicycle. Now there are a lot of modern cars in the cities, which are said to be emitting less gas. But still their emitted gasses damage the environment, so to my mind, that is why pollution of our environment is increasing. Secondly, it seems to me, that technologies are throwing away our free time. For example, these new laptop computer or those touch-screen devices are full of entertaining programs, which are attracting people effectively. Then people forget how to communicate with others in real life, not through international communication systems like â€Å"Skype† or â€Å"Facebook†. On the other hand, my opinion is that science and technology has far increased by the past few decades. New medical treatment, new computer technologies and other useful technical appliances are helping people to solve variety of problems more easily than it used to be. Overall, these new science and technology inventions harm not only our environment, but even us. So in my view, we should start thinking what technologies we use. 256 words. 2012_10_07

Weather In The Great Gatsby - 1250 Words

In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster states that â€Å"weather is never just weather.† There are several times in the Great Gatsby that setting impacts the novel, however setting doesn’t just include an actual place, it represents physical locations, time periods, culture, history, weather, etc. Chapters 10, 19, and 20 in H2R focus on setting and it can be incorporated in any story or novel. As it is mentioned early on in the novel, the Great Gatsby takes place during the twentieth century. The story takes place from a time period very different from ours. The vocabulary that the characters use might not be recognizable by modern readers. References to cities and towns like West Egg, East Egg, and the Sound might not be†¦show more content†¦Wilson. He is only described by Nick as â€Å"a pale, well-dressed Negro† and is referred as a Negro for the next two pages. In Chapter 4, Nick goes into town with Gatsby to meet Mr. Wolfsheim. As they drive, they pass a white chauffeur, in which sa â€Å"three modish Negroes,† two bucks, and a girl. Nick says that he laughs as their eyeballs rolled towards theirs in â€Å"haughty rivalry.† In the last chapter of H2R, we read the Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield. Toward the end of this short story, the main character, Laura, has to go down to the house of the widowed woman to give them her family leftovers as a gift. As she embarks on her journey, the setting of the story changes dramatically from having â€Å"ideal weather† in the morning before the party to walking down a road that is â€Å"smoky and dark.† After Laura encounters the family of the dead man and sees his body, Laura rushes out the house and finds her brother Laurie. This whole interaction reminds me of how Nick finds Gatsby outside of the Buchanan house after one of the most chaotic days in the novel. After Mrs. Wilson’s death, Nick is irritated with pretty much everyone , including Jordan Baker, his girlfriend. He states that â€Å"I’d had enough of all of them for one day,† which is pretty understandable after the day that he had. After he walks down the Buchanan driveway, Gatsby â€Å"stepped from between two bushes into the path† similar to how Laurie from the GardenShow MoreRelatedWeather Symbolism In The Great Gatsby938 Words   |  4 Pagesfog, the weather had an immense role in both the setting and symbolically. Like Thomas Foster stated, â€Å"weather is never just weather. It’s never just rain. And that goes for snow, sun, warmth, cold, and probably sleet.†(Fos) Weather in The Great Gatsby is enriched with meaning and impact to the novel and one example being when Gatsby and Daisy met again after five years. 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