Humboldt Journal of Microbiology
Abstract
Abstract As antibiotic-resistant bacteria become more prevalent, the search for novel forms of antibiotics in the natural world has become an increasingly worthwhile endeavor. Many mosses have been found to contain antimicrobial properties, including those in the family Orthotrichaceae. Pulvigera papillosa, an Orthotrichaceous moss native to California, has thus far not been investigated to determine whether it contains antimicrobial properties. Extraction techniques using polar and nonpolar solvents have proven to be effective in extracting the secondary metabolites that allow mosses to defend themselves against a hostile microbial world. This study takes a preliminary look into the antimicrobial properties of P. papillosa using methanol and hexane extractions in conjunction with Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion tests. Evidence for the presence of antimicrobial compounds within the tissues of P. papillosa was not found using our methods. However, our study does not conclusively eliminate P. papillosa as a potential source of antimicrobial compounds.
Recommended Citation
Solorzano, Ryan A.; Paulin, Justin; Prater, Grayson; and Lanier, Michael
(2025)
"Solvent extracts of Pulvigera papillosa (Orthotrichaceae) show no antimicrobial properties in disk diffusion tests,"
Humboldt Journal of Microbiology: Vol. 24, Article 7.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/hjm/vol24/iss1/7
Included in
Botany Commons, Forest Biology Commons, Microbiology Commons