Meeting Abstract
The purpose of this research is to expand our knowledge of antimicrobial properties of Croton lechleri (commonly known as Sangre de Drago), a tree that grows in the upper Amazon specifically in Peru, Columbia, and Ecuador. By testing its sap, which has been proven previously to be nontoxic, in terms of it’s ability to kill arbitrary skin microbiota. Cultural research reveals that Sangre de Drago is frequently used by the native population as a remedy for common skin infections. Bacterial samples were collected from the hands of team participants following a day of research activities in the Amazon rainforest. These bacterial samples were then challenged with sap of Croton lechleri during the incubation phase on nutrient agar medium. A zone of inhibition was observed within the test area of Croton lechleri sap. The bacterial isolates from the agar plates were positively identified as staphylococcal strains through gram staining. Additional tests were run against known staphylococcal species using sap that was purchased in market in Puerto Maldonado to further investigate bactericidal activity of Croton lechleri in vitro. Further research is needed to characterize the precise mechanism of this bactericidal activity.
