The Effect of Omega-3 PUFAs on Enterobacter aerogenes

School Name

Spring Valley High School

Grade Level

10th Grade

Presentation Topic

Microbiology

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Abstract

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are lipids composed of two or more carbon double bonds in a hydrogen chain with the double bond at the third carbon atom. These fatty acids have shown anti-inflammatory characteristics along with health benefits to the human body. On the contrary, Enterobacter aerogenes is a gram-negative bacteria, protected by a layer of lipopolysaccharides, that is known to be a bacterial pathogen that is resistant to antibiotics. In this experiment, the gram-negative bacteria, Enterobacter aerogenes, was exposed to a 0.05 mL concentration of three different types of omega-3 PUFAs. The three omega-3 PUFAs used were alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It was predicted that DHA PUFA would be the most effective in inhibiting the growth of the Enterobacter aerogenes. Experimentation was accomplished by mixing each acid with liquid broth into different test tubes and then their optical density at 600.10 nanometers was recorded. The hypothesis that one of the means would be different was not supported. At α = 0.05, when p < 0.1153 and F(3,119)= 2.02, there was no significant difference between the means. It was concluded that the omega-3 PUFAs were not significantly effective in inhibiting the growth rate the Enterobacter aerogenes.

Location

Wall 224

Start Date

3-25-2017 10:45 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 25th, 10:45 AM

The Effect of Omega-3 PUFAs on Enterobacter aerogenes

Wall 224

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are lipids composed of two or more carbon double bonds in a hydrogen chain with the double bond at the third carbon atom. These fatty acids have shown anti-inflammatory characteristics along with health benefits to the human body. On the contrary, Enterobacter aerogenes is a gram-negative bacteria, protected by a layer of lipopolysaccharides, that is known to be a bacterial pathogen that is resistant to antibiotics. In this experiment, the gram-negative bacteria, Enterobacter aerogenes, was exposed to a 0.05 mL concentration of three different types of omega-3 PUFAs. The three omega-3 PUFAs used were alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It was predicted that DHA PUFA would be the most effective in inhibiting the growth of the Enterobacter aerogenes. Experimentation was accomplished by mixing each acid with liquid broth into different test tubes and then their optical density at 600.10 nanometers was recorded. The hypothesis that one of the means would be different was not supported. At α = 0.05, when p < 0.1153 and F(3,119)= 2.02, there was no significant difference between the means. It was concluded that the omega-3 PUFAs were not significantly effective in inhibiting the growth rate the Enterobacter aerogenes.