Analysis of the Influence Carveol Dehydrogenase has on Bacterial Growth and Resistance to Turmeric and Ginger

Turmeric is a commonly used spice that derives from the root of Curcuma longa and is native to southeast Asia. Ginger is also used as a spice and derives from southeast Asia. In both ginger and turmeric, compounds extracted from their rhizomes have medicinal properties that include reducing inflammation and acting as antioxidants (1). Previous scientific research has shown that ginger and turmeric also have antibacterial activities against many bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus (1). Carveol dehydrogenase is an enzyme found in the Limonene degradation pathway that catalyzes the dichlorophenolindophenol -dependent oxidation of cis/trans-Carveol into Carvone (4). Carveol is a compound that has been identified in both ginger and turmeric (3). This research will look to explain whether bacteria, that have the carveol dehydrogenase gene, can grow in ginger and turmeric isolates. This research stems from prior work done by the TA, Caroline Taylor, where she isolated microbes from a Winogradsky column that were supplemented with media from turmeric and ginger (2). As Taylor’s research is composed mainly of gram-negative bacterial species, this research will look to identify both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms with the carveol dehydrogenase gene. It is expected that by investigating the phylogeny throughout the carveol dehydrogenase gene's amino acid sequence in different microorganisms, verified by the conserved domain regions of the enzyme in all species, that carveol dehydrogenase can be predicted as a contributing key enzyme allowing for the growth and resistance to turmeric (Curcuma longa) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) by diverse bacterial species. This may suggest that the role of Carveol Dehydrogenase is a key enzyme that may allow for turmeric and ginger (of the carveol or limonene compounds) to be used as an energy or carbon source and one that allows for the growth and resistance to turmeric and ginger by diverse bacterial species.