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Investigating synergistic antibacterial agents of Cymbopogon species oil fractions Jaheim Omari M. Pilgrim, Prof. Avril Williams , Dr. Keisha Ellis-Holder Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. E-mail: jaheim.pilgrim@mycavehill.uwi.edu Amid the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) [1] , natural products have garnered renewed attention as a potential reservoir of novel bioactive agents. This particular study is aimed at producing a phytochemical profile and the fractionation of extracts of Cymbopogon species, with an emphasis on lemongrass essential oil. Chromatographic and spectrometric techniques will be employed to profile and fraction lemongrass essential oil extracts, which contain many volatile compounds with potent antimicrobial activity–like citral and limonene [2] . These fractions will subsequently be evaluated for synergistic interactions with established antibiotics using minimum concentration (MIC) assays and fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICI) [3] . Preliminary expectations are that certain bioactive fractions may yield enhanced antibiotic efficacy, potentially reducing the required dosages to combat resistant pathogens. This project opens an avenue for further exploratory work to be done in the area of standardisation and stabilisation of EO volatile components by novel approaches, such as the use of nanoparticles for enhanced bioactivity.The outcomes of the project are expected to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of plant-derived synergistic agents, and to inform the rational design of multi- target antimicrobial strategies, addressing critical gaps in current therapeutic approaches [4] . Key words: Natural products, essential oils, lemongrass, plant-derived therapeutics, antimicrobial synergy References 1. Newman, David J, and Gordon M Cragg. “Natural Products as Sources of New Drugs over the Nearly Four Decades from 01/1981 to 09/2019.” Journal of natural products vol. 83,3 (2020): 770-803. 2. Mukarram M, Choudhary S, Khan MA, Poltronieri P, Khan MMA, Ali J, Kurjak D, Shahid M. Lemongrass Essential Oil Components with Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Dec 22;11(1):20. 3. Odds, F C. “Synergy, antagonism, and what the chequerboard puts between them.” The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy vol. 52,1 (2003): 1. 4. World Health Organization. (2019). No Time to Wait: Securing the Future from Drug-Resistant Infections.
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