This is a PhD project that will be focusing on testing plants with potential antimicrobial properties. These plants have been used for many years to treat chronic infection without knowing the normal dosage and the active ingredients. With the rise in antimicrobial resistance infections, there is an urgent need to provide an effective treatment for these superbugs. According to the NHS, there are about 200,000 cases of antimicrobial infections annually, of which 80,000 could die. Generally, plants have been used for various medicinal purposes, of which infection treatment is one of them. According to the WHO, 80% of the global population depend on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare needs. The use of plant extracts forms the principle of these traditional treatments. This could explain the need for the world to go back to natural products as medicinal remedies. The only problem is that there is no standard literature as to what these plants contain. Therefore, there is a possible risk of some-one accidentally overdosing. In places like Africa and Asia, the use of medicinal plants, are the most basic and accessible means to treat diabetes, malaria, typhoid, measles, chronic wound infections, cancer etc.
My plan is to analyize 5 novel plants and 4 other plants (which have been in use for decades) of their antimicrobial efficacy and then carry out a toxicology analysis to establish if there is or could be any major side effects for using these plants for treatment. Because these plants are occasionally used as a local medication, I will produce a standard method for understanding their effective extraction and dosage.
I am asking for your support. Please, lets join hands and fight off these superbugs! The £15000 will be for the 3years tuition fee for my PhD. Thank-you for your assistance and support.