Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

A Potential Klebsiella Bacteriocin With Efficacy Toward The Enterbacteriaceae Family, Kasey Barber

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drug resistance is unfortunately becoming a prevalent issue in the course of patient treatment, ranging from chemotherapy resistance to antimicrobial resistance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 2016 that at least 23,000 people die every year in the United States from an infection with an antibiotic-resistant organism (Munita, et al, 2016). Carl Friedlander was the first scientist to describe Klebsiella pneumoniae in 1882 as an encapsulated bacillus after isolating the bacterium from the lungs of patients who had died from pneumonia (Ashurst and Dawson, 2022). Klebsiella pneumoniae is the type species for the Klebsiella genus and …

Nicotinamide Riboside And Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Activate Parallel Pathways For C. Elegans Lifespan Extension, Mckenzie Peters

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Supplementation with nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3 and a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) extends lifespan in the nematode C. elegans and delays aging-related pathologies in mammals. During aging, levels of NAD⁺ decline causing metabolic dysfunction and oxidative damage. Studies in C. elegans found that when NR was administered during larval development it induced the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt), which is frequently associated with lifespan extension. Both calorie restriction (CR) and ketogenic diets (KD) have been shown to extend lifespan, in part through increasing NAD⁺ and through increasing levels …

Treatment Of Allergic Rhinitis: Diphenhydramine Vs. Fexofenadine, Lauren Setzer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Allergic rhinitis is a growing allergic illness brought on by the inhalation of allergens, resulting in a list of symptoms, including sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, etc. Among the many treatment options available, H1-antihistamines are a popular choice for allergic rhinitis sufferers. First-generation antihistamines were the first to hit the market and were later discovered to be lipophilic, causing blood-brain barrier penetration and cognitive impairment. Second-generation antihistamines were later developed with lipophobic properties to eliminate any form of cognitive impairment. Both generations are readily available over-the-counter in tablet form, including two commonly used ones: diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) and fexofenadine (Allegra®). These …

Synthesis And Biological Testing Of Small-Molecule Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitors, Willough Sloan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis delineates two main projects: the first outlines the structure elucidation efforts toward a Diels-Alder adduct of a novel reaction for the synthesis of chimaphilin, a naphthoquinone-based natural product with apoptotic or antiproliferative activity in certain cancer cells^1,2. The structure elucidation extends to derivatives of chimaphilin synthesized by the same cyclization reaction. While Diels-Alder reactions are usually regioselective, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR of the adducts was inconclusive and indicated the possibility of regioisomer presence, with one regioisomer being chimaphilin (or derivatives). A multitude of crystallization methods were carried out in order to be able to analyze …

Developing Iron Complexes For Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Generation, Benjamin Travis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Artificial photosynthesis systems convert solar energy into chemical fuels such as hydrogen gas. Photocatalytic hydrogen generation systems have previously been developed, but reliance on expensive metal catalysts limits the viability of these systems. In order for artificial photosynthesis to be used as a large-scale clean energy solution, it is crucial to discover more active and cost-efficient catalysts.

To this end, several novel iron polypyridyl complexes were synthesized using relatively inexpensive reactants. Electrochemical testing revealed that these complexes are active electrocatalysts for the reduction of protons to generate hydrogen gas. Furthermore, a naphthalene-terminated iron polypyridyl complex was found to be an …

Making The Case For Psychedelics: Comparing Alternative Treatment Options For Depression, Nicole Amavisca

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Given the number of people who are treated for depression each year and the knowledge that treatments work differently for everyone, there is a pressing need to provide a variety of treatment options. Although psychedelic research had been halted for a few decades due to recreational abuse, there has been revived interest due to its therapeutic potential in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction. As an example, the hallucinogen ketamine has recently been approved as a treatment for depression, which has opened the door for broadening the discussion on psychedelic research. Although the research is limited, psilocybin mimics ketamine …

The Life-Saving Drug That No One Knows About: Naloxone Education And The Health Belief Model, Sarah Tilford

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Naloxone hydrochloride, popularly known by the brand name Narcan, is an emergency treatment used to reverse an overdose on opioid drugs. The CDC reports upwards of 26,000 individuals saved by naloxone between 1996 and 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Despite this success rate, those outside of the medical field largely remain unaware of what naloxone is or how they can use it in an emergency, leading to needless loss of life. Many studies focusing on naloxone access and education have been unable to offer findings meant to increase the use and ownership of the drug by lay …

The Role Of Dopamine In Decision Making Processes In Drosophila Melanogaster, Michelle C. Bowers

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Understanding the neural processes that mediate decision making is a relatively new field of investigation in the scientific community. With the ultimate goal of understanding how humans decide between one path and another, simpler models such as Drosophila Melanogaster, the common fruit fly, are often utilized as a way of determining the neural circuits involved in these decision-making processes. One of the most important decisions flies make is the decision of where to lay their eggs (oviposit). Choosing the proper substrate upon which to lay eggs is a crucial decision that can ultimately impact their fecundity. This paper investigates the …

Effects Of Nicotinamide Riboside And Beta-Hydroxybutyrate On C. Elegans Lifespan, Jeffery Peters

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The nicotinamide riboside (NR) form of vitamin B₃and the ketone body ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) are two of the most promising natural compounds yet identified for the treatment of aging and aging-related diseases. Forms of vitamin B₃are precursors for the synthesis of the coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(H)) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP(H)). In aged cells levels of NAD⁺decline, decreasing metabolism and decreasing activity of protective sirtuin protein deacetylases. In aged cells NR, but not more common forms of vitamin B3, boost NAD⁺levels. BHB is naturally produced by the body when individuals fast …

Ctrp3 And Alcoholic Liver Disease In Female Mice, Callie Root

Undergraduate Honors Theses

C1q TNF Related Protein 3 (CTRP3), is a cytokine that is primarily secreted from adipose tissue, which classifies it as an adipokine. Our previous research has shown that CTRP3 prevents alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD) in male mice. However, even when accounting for confounding factors such as absolute and relative alcohol intake, females are more sensitive to the effects of consumption compared to male mice. Therefore, the goal of this project was to determine whether CTRP3 prevented ALD in female mice. Methods: Female wild type (WT) and female CTRP3 transgenic over expressing (Tg) mice were fed an ethanol containing liquid …

Isolation, Analysis, And Partial Characterization Of An Inhibitor Of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Natania Paul

Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is an emerging threat of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains that are resistant to all antibiotics. Because of this, the purpose of this research is to isolate, analyze, and partially characterize a new inhibitor(s) of N. gonorrhoeae. Since there is an unknown molecule secreted by Candida albicans that inhibits N. gonorrhoeae, this molecule can be partially characterized using ¹H NMR Spectroscopy to assist in the development of a new antibiotic compound. It was hypothesized that quorum-sensing molecules, trans, trans- farnesol, tyrosol, phenylethyl alcohol, and tryptophol, could be possible candidates for the inhibitor. Because of this, ¹H …

Testing Cr(Ii)-Btc For Ammonia Adsorption Capabilities: A Research Proposal, Tyler Hemingway

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Excerpt from Purpose and Hypothesis

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the ability of a particular metal-organic framework (MOF), Cr(II)-BTC, to adsorb ammonia (NH₃) gas. This particular MOF was chosen for this study due to the Cr having open metal sites, which are generally suitable locations for ammonia adsorption as seen in other MOFs.^1,2,3 This study will be done by testing Cr(II)-BTC’s ability to adsorb as well as another MOFs ability to adsorb ammonia. From this data, the ability of Cr(II)-BTC to adsorb ammonia repeatedly and under dry or humid conditions will also be determined. …

Synthesis And In-Vitro Cell Viability/Cytotoxicity Studies Of Novel Pyrrolobenzodiazepine Derivatives, John M. Jarrett

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pyrrolobenzodiazepines (PBDs) are a group of naturally occurring compounds that were discovered in the cultures of Streptomyces in the 1960s. Some natural PBDs discovered in these cultures, such as anthramycin and sibiromycin, were shown to possess a broad spectrum of anti-tumor activity. Since cancer is still a leading cause of death globally, the development of novel anti-proliferative derivatives of PBDs is essential for human welfare worldwide. Further synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of the parent natural products and their tetracyclic analogs will lead to the discovery of drug candidates. In this work, thirteen PBD analogues were synthesized using no …

Chat Expression In Chlamydia Muridarum-Infected Female Murine Genital Tract, Hallie Sartain

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent agent of bacterial sexually transmitted infections in the world. However, a profuse number of cases are unreported, as the infection is often asymptomatic. Sequelae such as pelvic inflammatory disease, an increased risk of cervical cancer, premature birth, and perinatal infections in pregnant women can occur. Inflammation occurs in the body in response to infection or injury. Although inflammation can lead to some unwanted secondary effects, such as pain, it serves to return the body to homeostasis by restoring injured tissues and eliminating pathogens. One recently identified connection between the central nervous system and the …

The Effects Of Chronic Alcohol Consumption On Ovarian Function/ Morphology, Destiny Roberts

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chronic alcohol (ethanol) consumption has been known to affect the major organs of the body and particularly the liver. However, the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on the female reproductive system remain relatively unstudied. A convenient way to study these effects is by analyzing laboratory mice that have been fed an ethanol diet for an extended period of time and comparing them to control mice. In this study, female mice were separated into control and ethanol fed groups. The mice were placed on their specified diets and observed over the course of six weeks. The mice were fed and weighed …

A Systematic Column Performance Comparison For The Confirmation Of Opioids Used In Pain Management By Lc-Ms, Derek Stallard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this study, three different chromatographic column chemistries (C18, Pentafluorophenyl (PFP), Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (HILIC)) were compared under optimal conditions to determine which stationary performed best in the separation and detection of a mixture of opioids using LC-MS. Furthermore, these stationary phases were examined in three different column technologies – traditional silica, porous shell, and porous polymer (PRP). The PRP column had the best peak shape for all 13 opioids and dominated for later-eluting compounds. In terms of column reproducibility, the Hamilton C18 column had the lowest %RSD values. The Kinetex HILIC produced the most theoretical plates and best resolution …