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Improving the Effectiveness of Neosporin on Escherichia coli by Supplementation with Resveratrol

November 14, 2024
by Carissa Spencer

 

Abstract: Approximately 95,000 cases of E. coli related food poisoning are reported in the U.S. each year. The purpose of this study is to improve the effectiveness of the antibiotic Neosporin against bacteria by supplementing it with the polyphenol resveratrol. There is a great deal of information about the impact of polyphenols on the function of topoisomerase and the development of resistance to standard antibiotics. However, there is very little research on the impact of the polyphenol resveratrol combined with the standard antibiotic, Neosporin, on the growth of Escherichia coli. This study was designed to investigate the effect of the common antibiotic Neosporin enhanced with the polyphenol resveratrol on Escherichia coli. This study was completed by combining the neosporin with resveratrol and examining the zones of inhibition versus the control (water) using a Kirby-Bauer assay. Two different trials were conducted over the course of 4 days.  A resveratrol pill was taken and broken in half. 0.25 grams of resveratrol powder was measured by placing the powder on a different weighboat and placing it in the analytical balance to accurately measure the mass. The resveratrol powder was placed in the beakers labeled resveratrol and the resveratrol and neosporin. In each beaker, 200 mL of a 1:5 water: ethanol solution was added to help dissolve them. A hot plate was placed on level ,2 and each beaker was placed on top for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally with a glass stirring rod.  The results of the Kirby-Bauer assay showed that, as hypothesized, the neosporin and resveratrol combined had the largest zones of inhibition. Thus, this novel combination could be a promising new method to address antibiotic resistance.

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