The Extraction, Purification, and Characterization of a Possible Prodigiosin
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Abstract
Bacteria develop resistance to drugs due to improper uses of antibiotics and mutations. This creates a need for new antibiotics. New sources of drugs can be found in nature or inspired by nature. Bacteria themselves produce secondary metabolites that ward off other bacteria, and therefore can be sources for new antibiotics. The two strains of Vibrio (MI-1 and MI-2) explored in this project have been found to produce metabolites that show antibacterial activity. Due to its characteristic pink color, it can be speculated that the secondary metabolite produced by the two Vibrio species is possibly a type of prodigiosin, a class of antibacterial compounds. Finding new types prodigiosin can lead to new drugs that can be on the market. This project aims to identify the potential prodigiosin structure. The process requires three phases: extraction, purification, and characterization. The metabolites from MI-1 and MI-2 strains were extracted and purified using chromatographic methods and solid phase extraction. Spectroscopic methods focused on only MI-1 and included NMR, mass spectrometry, Infrared Spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy to characterize the compound.