Authors: Ezra Wylie, Merrill Halling
Mentors: Merrill Halling
Insitution: Utah Valley University
Various parts of Cercocarpus ledifolius, or curled leaf mountain mahogany, was used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans for a wide variety of uses including tuberculosis, syphilitic sores, and venereal diseases. Symbiotic microorganisms, called endophytes, often produce these compounds for defense of the tree. Novel compounds have been found in plants which have demonstrated antibiotic, antifungal, or other biological activities. Endophytes were grown from various parts of the tree, including roots, stems, branches, and leaves. The bioactive compounds were isolated and identified using chromatographic and spectroscopic methods.