2025, Vol. 13, Issue 6, Part C

author(s)
Alexa Timken, Raziah Izard, Kaylee S Butcher, Olivia Felix-Cardona, Ryan Le, Hussein Nassar, Kaven J Bartlett, Oscar F Ramos, and Prince N Agbedanu

abstract
Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a never-ending problem as organisms continue to encounter extreme environmental changes and adapt to them appropriately. These adaptations often involve genetic changes that either make them susceptible or resistant. Enterobacter has been implicated in urinary tract infections and respiratory issues, which are generally a leading cause of death in the general population. The frequent development of resistance against our limited repertoire of antibiotics necessitates the search for multiple alternatives against the ever evolving bacterial populations. Our investigation demonstrates the antimicrobial properties of Elderberry, Tea tree, and Lavender against bacterial strains, including Enterobacter and E. coli, and the unicellular eukaryote Saccharomyces boulardii. Blank paper discs were infused with previously extracted ingredients of Elderberry, Tea tree, and Lavender. The bacteria or yeast were inoculated by spreading uniformly across agar plates. The previously infused test discs were placed on the agar plate along with controls. Following a 24 hour incubation period, the zones of bacterial inhibition attributable to the infused agents or controls (+/-), were measured. Based on these measured zones of inhibition, elderberry demonstrated antifungal activity against Saccharomyces boulardii, while both lavender and Tea tree demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Enterobacter, E. coli, and Saccharomyces boulardii.