Introducing Chemistry Students to Experiments Using the Antimicrobial Herbal Garden Cress Seeds

Moges Abebe
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Moges Abebe: Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Saint Augustine University, USA

Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, 2023, vol. 50, issue 5, 42126-42130

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to introduce students to herbal chemistry, guide them in extracting, purifying, and testing phytochemicals in a college laboratory setting. One of the most economical and readily available herbs is garden cress seed, which is a small, pinhead-sized seed that has found nutritional value. The seed has been used as a traditional medicine around the world for centuries, and it is costeffective seed to introduce in chemistry laboratories. Students have already been exposed to spices and herbs in cooked meals where they smelled and tasted herbs and may also have heard about the medicinal purpose of the herb. Students partake in labs involving planting the garden cress seed within the first day of experimentation and the remaining lab time can be used to extract and isolate the phytochemicals using organic solvents. The extraction method can be applied to the stem, leaves, and roots of the planted seed in the second laboratory period, and the third lab can be used to perform analytical methods to test the quality of the extraction and determine the antibacterial properties of the herb. Compared to the other labs, the innovative experiments on herbs provided exposure to lab techniques and increased collaboration among students with the support of the instructor.

Keywords: Journals on Medical Drug and Therapeutics; Journals on Emergency Medicine; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Journals on Infectious Diseases Addiction Science and Clinical Pathology; Open Access Clinical and Medical Journal; Journals on Biomedical Science; List of Open Access Medical Journal; Journals on Biomedical Engineering; Open Access Medical Journal; Biomedical Science Articles; Journal of Scientific and Technical Research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:abf:journl:v:50:y:2023:i:5:p:42126-42130

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2023.50.008025

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