Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a superbug that threatens human health. As a consequence, new therapies for MRSA treatment are urgently needed. A species of naturally kelp on the coast of Maine, Saccharina latissima, produces compounds with broad spectrum inhibitory activity against MRSA and other strains of staph. Saccharina latissima is also farmed in coastal Maine waters, providing a plethora of kelp to study. In an effort to discover more potent and effective antibiotics, the harvest, extraction, and biological evaluation of antimicrobial extracts from S. latissima will be described. The results of an ongoing six-month study investigating how the antimicrobial properties of the crude extracts are related to varied storage conditions, length of time of storage, and temperature of storage will also be reported.

Chemical extraction, biological evaluation, and stability analysis of coastal Maine Saccharina latissima extracts that exhibit antimicrobial potency against MRSA

255th National Meeting (2018)

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