Antimicrobial activity of dogwood fruits (Cornus drummondii) from winter food caches of eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana)
Post, D.M.P. | Urban, J.E.
Post-harvest loss of resources to microbial competitors affects a number of species of animals, and many of them have evolved behaviors that reduce the likelihood of such loss. We previously described the inhibition of Bacillus psychrophilus by dogwood fruits (Cornus drummondii) which can comprise a significant portion of the winter food cache of the eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana). The present study is a further investigation of the ability of dogwood fruits to inhibit growth of B. psychrophilus. Additionally, we tested the antimicrobial activity of dogwood fruits on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Results of our study indicate that fresh fruits inhibit the growth of B. psychrophilus and S. aureus but not E. coli. However, fruits taken from woodrat dens after four and six months storage inhibited growth of all three species of bacteria. Further, the strength of inhibition increased over the test period. We suggest the presence of an inhibitor allows woodrats to compete effectively for a valuable and limited food resource.
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