For thousands of years, certain foods have been utilized for purposes beyond nutrition. St. Francis College students chose to examine antibiotic properties of natural substances for a General Biology project. Specifically, it has been demonstrated that essential oils, honeys, and vinegars can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The students quantified the relative efficacies of tea tree oil, cinnamon oil, garlic extract, apple cider vinegar, and Manuka honey against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by measuring the zones of bacterial growth inhibition after a 24-hour period of incubation. The experimental agent was administered either by drop directly onto the inoculated agar surface or on a saturated piece of filter paper. The conventional antibiotics tetracycline and erythromycin were used as positive controls and as baselines for halo size. The students found that all natural agents tested were comparably or more effective than conventional antibiotics as measured by the diameter of the zone of growth inhibition. The success of these food remedies was encouraging since they are generally inexpensive and widely available. Food products that have been used historically as remedies are still very relevant and could be potent sources of antibiotic activity. This student-designed lab activity yielded much data that the students could analyze and relate to existing data on antibiotics.
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