Study of the Effect of Plant Extracts on the Physical and Biological Properties of Prepared Liquid Soap

Rafah J. Kadhim; Ali Omairi Mohammed

doi:10.51699/cajmns.v7i4.3345

Authors

Rafah J. Kadhim Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tikrit, Tikrit, Iraq
Ali Omairi Mohammed Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tikrit, Tikrit, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51699/cajmns.v7i4.3345

Keywords:

Soap, Additives, Plant Extracts

Abstract

Many medicinal plants contain organic compounds that can kill harmful microbes more effectively than synthetic chemicals. Given the undesirable side effects of synthetic chemicals, it's better to use medicated soap products. This study attempted to increase the antibacterial and antifungal effectiveness of a locally prepared liquid soap by adding some locally available plant leaf extracts (castor leaves, oleander leaves, olive leaves, colocynth fruits, wormwood leaves, myrtle leaves, and lemon leaves), and measure the biological effectiveness of enhanced soap against some types of pathogenic bacteria such as Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Gram-positive Streptococcus bacteria, As well as some species of Candida albicans, using standard laboratory methods such as the disk diffusion method. The antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of the liquid soap used in the study was observed to increase after the addition of plant extracts, and also increased with increasing concentrations of the added plant extracts.

References

K. D. Mwambete and F. Lyombe, “Antimicrobial activity of medicated soaps commonly used by Dar es Salaam residents in Tanzania,” Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 92–98, 2011.

M. J. Richards, J. R. Edwards, D. H. Culver, and R. P. Gaynes, “Nosocomial infections in medical intensive care units in the United States, National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System,” Critical Care Medicine, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 887–892, 1999.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “FDA issues final rules on safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps,” Sep. 28, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.fda.gov. [Accessed: Jun. 7, 2026].

S. Prabuseenivasan, M. Jayakumar, and S. Ignacimuthu, “In vitro antibacterial activity of some plant essential oils,” BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 6, art. no. 39, 2006.

P. Kareru, J. M. Keriko, G. M. Kenji, G. Thiong’o, A. N. Gachanja, and H. N. Mukiira, “Antimicrobial activities of skincare preparations from plant extracts,” African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 214–218, 2010.

R. Singh, A. Kumar, and P. Sharma, “Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Ricinus communis: A comprehensive review,” Discover Applied Sciences, 2024.

A. E. Al-Snafi, “Bioactive ingredients and pharmacological effects of Nerium oleander,” IOSR Journal of Pharmacy, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 19–32, 2020.

F. Al-Rimawi, M. Sbeih, M. Amayreh, B. Rahhal, and S. Mudalal, “Evaluation of the antibacterial and antifungal properties of oleuropein, Olea europaea leaf extract, and Thymus vulgaris oil,” BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, vol. 24, art. no. 297, 2024.

S. Pradhan et al., “Phytochemical analysis of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad and study of its antibacterial activity in vitro,” Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 156–159, 2023.

G. E.-S. Batiha et al., “Bioactive compounds, pharmacological actions, and pharmacokinetics of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium),” Antibiotics, vol. 9, no. 6, art. no. 353, 2020.

A. E. Al-Snafi et al., “The therapeutic value of Myrtus communis L.: An updated review,” Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, vol. 397, pp. 4579–4600, 2024.

M. Asker, S. E. El-Gengaihi, E. M. Hassan, M. A. Mohammed, and S. A. Abdelhamid, “Phytochemical constituents and antibacterial activity of Citrus lemon leaves,” Bulletin of the National Research Centre, vol. 44, art. no. 194, 2020.

L. Gallina, C. Cravotto, G. Capaldi, G. Grillo, and G. Cravotto, “Plant extraction in water: Towards highly efficient industrial applications,” Processes, vol. 10, no. 11, art. no. 2233, 2022.

Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), Liquid Hand Soap Production. Los Baños, Philippines: PCAARRD, n.d.

N. Widiani, A. Novitasari, O. P. Winandari, and D. A. Saputri, “Formulation and antibacterial activity testing of eco-soap based on sodium lauryl sulfate surfactant,” BIOMEDICH, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 121–125, 2024.

ASTM International, Standard Test Method for pH of Aqueous Solutions With the Glass Electrode (ASTM E70-19). West Conshohocken, PA, USA: ASTM International, 2019.

Anton Paar GmbH, Density Measurement: Best Practices and Instrumentation Guide. Graz, Austria: Anton Paar GmbH, 2023.

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Disk Susceptibility Tests; Approved Standard—Twelfth Edition (CLSI Document M02-A12). Wayne, PA, USA: CLSI, 2015.

C. Medina and F. Alvarez-Núñez, Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients, 6th ed. London, U.K.: Pharmaceutical Press; Washington, DC, USA: American Pharmacists Association, 2009.

D. B. Narkhede, “Formulation and evaluation of coconut oil liquid soap,” International Journal of Pharma World Research, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 1–15, 2010.

S. Das, S. Agarwal, S. Samanta, M. Kumari, and R. Das, “Formulation and evaluation of herbal soap,” Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 14–19, 2024.