CHED 1063 |
| Enrofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibacterial that has been found in natural waters at low concentrations and is subject to photodegradation under sunlight. While loss by photolysis is usually assumed to mean mitigation of potential environmental impacts, problems may arise if the photoproducts themselves introduce additional antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activity of enrofloxacin's photoproducts was assessed by determining their ability to inhibit growth of Escherichia coli DH5α. The photoproducts greatly inhibited bacterial growth, suggesting the necessity to isolate photoproducts to examine their potential environmental impacts. A minor photoproduct was isolated and identified as ciprofloxacin, a different fluoroquinolone; formation of ciprofloxacin as an enrofloxacin photoproduct has been observed previously. Analysis of ciprofloxacin's antibacterial activity shows that it accounts for only a small fraction of the overall inhibition of bacterial growth by the enrofloxacin photoproducts. Work continues to isolate and identify additional photoproducts in order to account for the additional antibacterial activity observed. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Environmental Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |