Abstract A30: The effects of Berberis vulgaris on bacterial inhibition and the p53 gene in cancerous Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Abstract Recently, there has been an interest in the use of natural products to inhibit bacterial growth rather than manufactured antibiotics due to the problem of bacterial resistance. This study aims at finding the most effective natural antibacterial remedy. The disk diffusion method was used to compare the antibacterial properties of manuka honey, barberry, aloe vera, and colloidal silver. After a 48-hour incubation period, the zone of inhibition was measured for the following bacteria: Bacillus megaterium, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Rhodospirillum rubrum, and Escherichia coli. Barberry was the most efficient natural product (p=0.02). Further tests were performed to determine whether barberry contained strong anticancer properties. Barberry was tested on Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans), strain JR1279, exposed to ultraviolet-C radiation and the population was counted daily. Prior to this experiment, barberry had never before been tested on a model organism. The purpose of this experiment would determine if barberry could increase the lifespan of the C.elegans by the addition of this reagent. It was shown that the C.elegans exposed to barberry had a longer lifespan than those that were not exposed to barberry (p=0.01), indicating that barberry could be a potential anticancer cancer supplement. Citation Format: Jesal P. Bhatt. The effects of Berberis vulgaris on bacterial inhibition and the p53 gene in cancerous Caenorhabditis elegans. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Cancer Cell Cycle - Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Response; Feb 28-Mar 2, 2016; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(11_Suppl):Abstract nr A30.