Last year, Professor Roslyn Crowder's lab at Stetson University ran experiments that showed treating cancer cells with yaupon holly leaf extract resulted in the death of human cancer cells.

This project expands on that preliminary study, and will examine the effect of old and new yaupon holly leaf extract on cell death mechanisms. They hypothesize that cancer cells undergo oxidative stress when treated with yaupon holly.

Ilex vomitoria, known as yaupon holly, is a plant species native to southeastern North America, and was historically used by Native Americans in brewed teas because it contains caffeine. It's recently been 'rediscovered' and is experiencing a resurgence in consumption.

The project budget of $3,250 will be used to obtain cancer and control cell cultures, as well as buy bioluminescent and flow cytometry kits to examine induction of oxidative stress in cells treated with yaupon holly extracts. Stetson University is providing plate reader equipment for the researchers to use in the study for the bioluminescent and flow cytometry steps.