Antimicrobial Soap from the Extract of Calotropis procera Aiton
Mijinyawa, Huraira *
Faculty of Science, Gombe State University, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.
Rifkatu Kambel Dogara
Faculty of Science, Gombe State University, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.
Abdulqadir Abubakar
Faculty of Science, Gombe State University, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.
Mai, Abigail J.
Faculty of Science, Gombe State University, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The aim of this study was to produce an antimicrobial soap with ethanolic extract of the stem bark of Calotropis procera and palm kernel oil. And to compare its antimicrobial activities of the soap with the active ingredients from commercially available antiseptic soaps.
Sample: The stem bark of Calotropis procera was collected from Gombe State University campus, Gombe State of Nigeria. This was taken to Botany Department, Gombe State University for identification. The palm kernel oil was purchased from Gombe Main Market, Gombe State, Nigeria.
Place and Duration of Study: the study took at Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Gombe State University in June 2024
Methodology: To determine the quality of the palm kernel oil purchased; saponification value and iodine value of the oil was assessed. The cold process of soap production was used in the soap production. Where palm kernel oil (100 ml) was measured in a beaker and 50ml sodium hydroxide and 25ml sodium carbonate was added to the oil and stirred very well. The plant extract (5 ml) was also added to the mixture and stirred vigorously using a glass rod, and 2.6 g of magnesium sulphate was added in the mixture, 5g of sodium silicate was also added to the mixture and stirred very well. To the mixture, few drops of vanilla essence was added. Physico-chemical parameters of the soap were assessed to determine the quality of prepared formulation against marketed herbal soap. pH, moisture content, total fatty matter, chloride content, foam height, insoluble. This was done to know the quality of the soap produced. To determine the antimicrobial activity of the soap produced, agar well diffusion method was used.
Results: The saponification value of the palm kernel oil was found to be 210 mgKOH/g and the iodine value obtained was 63.67 g/100. The soap produced was light brownish in color with a hint of vanilla essence. The pH value was found to be 9, which falls within the stipulated range limit of soap by NAFDAC (9.5-12.0). The foam stability of the soap was found to be 3.5 minutes. The chloride content of the soap produced 0.7 % which is less than that of NAFDAC’s 1%. The total fatty matter of the soap was also done and was found to be 70 %, which is within the stipulated range by NAFDAC (62.0%). The antimicrobial activity of the soap produced were determined against some clinical isolates of pathogenic microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans) using agar diffusion method. The pattern of inhibition varied with the soap concentration and the organisms tested.
Conclusion: The antimicrobial activities exhibited by the soap in this study could be attributed to the presence of phytochemical constituents in the crude extract, which signify the potential of the soap as a typical therapeutic agent. These findings therefore, confirmed the medicinal use of the soap prepared using palm kernel oil and the extract of the stem bark of Calotropis procera.
Keywords: Calotropis procera, palm kernel, soap, antimicrobial