Project Title: The Effect of Coriander Extract on the Replication of T2 Bacteriophage
Mentor: Jerry Goldstein
Coriander, also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking. Coriander has been shown to have antibacterial and antiviral activity for viruses of humans in vitro. Increasing concentrations of coriander seed extract added to Luria-Bertani broth have no effect on the growth of E. coli. The addition of E. coli coriander seed extract to Luria-Bertani broth at a concentration of 0.00012 g/ml enhances the yield of T2 bacteriophage up to 125% of the control culture. When the time of addition of coriander extract before infection of bacteria was varied, the longer the extract was in contact with the bacteria, the greater was the stimulatory effect on T2 bacteriophage yield. Increasing amounts of glucose added to E. coli cultures infected with T2 bacteriophage also caused an increase in bacteriophage yield. However, increasing concentrations of glucose added to E. coli cultures treated with coriander seed extract and then infected with T2 bacteriophage caused a decrease in the bacteriophage yield. Even very small concentrations of glucose inactivate adenylate cyclase enzyme activity in E. coli. These results suggest that stimulation of T2 bacteriophage caused by coriander seed extract is due to stimulation of cAMP production and adenylate cyclase enzyme activity in E. coli cells. Like other herbs and spices that enhance T2 bacteriophage yield, coriander seed extract exhibited no stimulatory effect on T4 bacteriophage yield.