*1Assistant professor, Department of Pharmacognosy, Chemists College Of pharmaceutical sciences and Research, Varikoli, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
2,3,4,5 Students, Chemists College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Varikoli, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Hand hygiene is the most important intervention that can limit the spread of pathogens. An antibacterial soap can remove 65% to 80% of bacteria from human skin. Herbal paper soap are formulated by adding dried herb or fresh herb along with other required ingredients. A plant constituent-based soap formulation can be improved in terms of washing efficacy against the presence of bacteria. Studies have shown that antibacterial active ingredient containing soap removes more bacteria .Herbs are also a repository of pharmacologically active compounds . The antibacterial potential of plants is accepted for the preparation of herbal soap. Number of gram positive ,gram negative deposited on the surface of skin like S. aureus, B. subtilis, E.coli etc. Natural antibacterial soap is produced using organic contents that have inherent antibacterial characteristics. These agents will give humans the upper hand to deal with pathogenic bacteria without the need for chemically harsh agents. Natural antibacterial soap helps people maintain a healthy skin by being as gentle as it is required to help them prevent irritation and dryness during its application. This practice will help to promote good health and wellbeing. In this review we are discussing in detail about the use antibacterial herbs such as Neem ,Turmeric, Tulsi, Eucalyptus ,sensitive plant, Mint ,Indian borage and Thyme.
Research on medicinal plants have gained attention in the world. Herbs contain substances that can be used for medicinal purposes. WHO observed that more than 80% of the world's population relies on traditional plants for health care. There is significant decrease in the incidence of bacterial infections by the use of herbal ingredients. The essential oil and other extracts of plants generated interest as a source of natural products. They have been screened for their potential to prevent bacterial infections. Hand hygiene compliance is a recommended key performance indicator of infection prevention and control programs, patient safety, and quality of health services worldwide. It is among the high priorities for maintaining health. Hand hygiene refers to the washing of hands, either through soap and water or via a hand sanitizer .According to the CDC(Centre for Disease Control and prevention), the best way to avoid disease and infection is to wash hands. Germs can last for hours on surface of skin and are transmitted through contact from one person to another. Paper cleaners are dry, lightweight to clean off things. Soluble within few seconds once a drop of water in it is done. These are of convenient size and can easily be applied on hands. It is an anionic surfactant, which is used along with water for washing and cleaning but these times everyone is interested to use herbals because herbal products have no side effects .That’s why this soap product innovation is introduced into market.[1,2,3,4,5]
CONTENT
1. Tulsi [6,7]
Table 1: Plant profile of Tulsi
Common name |
Holy basil |
Botanical name |
Ocimum tenuiflorum |
Family |
Lamiaceae |
Useful parts |
Whole herb and leaves |
Constituents |
Eugenol, linalol, anethol, cineol |
Type |
Perennial herb |
Antibacterial activity
Tulsi is an herbal plant that presents antibacterial activity against E.coli, Staphylococcus, P.pyocyaneus, Vibrio cholera. Eugenol is responsible for the therapeutic potential of tulsi.its antibacterial activity increase with enhancing concentration and specific contact time.Plant materials were collected and shade dried,powdered.Herb powder were extracted in 50 g with 50 ml ethanol. control testing made with 10% of ethanol.strain of bacteria was maintained in the culture plates.at MIC 20 mg/ml tulsi showed specific antibacterial activity.after 30 min of contact time,herb tulsi shown better antibacterial activity.MIC remains constant after 1hour,2 hours,and 5 hours.
2. Eucalyptus[8]
Table 2: Plant profile of Eucalyptus
Common name |
Blue gum |
Botanical name |
Eucalyptus globulus labill |
Family |
Myrtaceae |
Useful parts |
Leaves |
Constituents |
1,8-cineole, citronellal, alpha pinene |
Type |
Tree |
Antibacterial activity
Eucalyptus contains several natural substances that have activity against gram positive and gram-negative bacterial strains of E.coli and B. subtilis. Leaves are collected washed and dried cut into pieces and powder it. The extraction process is carried out by taking 50 g of sample leaves then soaked it in 200 ml of solvents like aqueous, methanol or acetone. And left for 24 hrs. Then separate using muslin cloth and sterile filter paper and refrigerate the extract.
Disc diffusion method : The antibacterial activity was studied through disc diffusion method by impregnating a 6mm diameter disc containing extract on agar plates already seeded with test organism. Test culture organism was prepared, grown in sterile nutrient broth at 37 degree celsius, and then inhibition diameters were measured. Extract exhibited the presence of phytochemicals such as tannins, saponins, and cardiac glycosides but revealed to be absent with the contents of anthraquinone s and alkaloids. Extract showed antibacterial properties in E. coli and B. subtilis which were determined through variations of zone of inhibition; Methanolic extract resulted with more activity.
3.Sensitive plant[9]
Table 3: Plant profile of Sensitive plant
Common name |
Sleepy plant |
Botanical name |
Mimosa pudica |
Family |
Fabaceae |
Useful parts |
Leaves |
Constituents |
Sterols, alkaloids, flavanoids, tannins |
Type |
Perennial plant |
Antibacterial activity
The antibacterial activity of the mimosa pudica was due to the flavonoids which are found to be in the plants. Flavonoids possess resistance to microbes because they restrict the synthesis of nucleic acid, cytoplasmic membrane function, and energy metabolism. The disc diffusion method is used for estimating the antibacterial activity of water and ethanol extract of the plant.
The leaves and the stem which are collected have been cleaned under water completely and are dried up from the moisture content of 8-10% and are stored in air tight container. The Gram negative and -positive bacteria (E.coli ,salmonella typhi, Bacillus cereus) cultures were grown on nutrient agar for 24 h at 37 0 C.Two types of extracts are made water extract, which contain 2g dry leaves and stems of M. pudica and 84 ml water added to a round bottom Flask, ethanol extract contains 2g dry leaves and stems of M.pudica and 72 ml of ethanol 90%.the antimicrobial activity is measured by the zone of inhibition in terms of millimeters. The result of tests for the invitro antibacterial activity indicates that ethanol extract show significant activity against E. coli, S. aureus, B. subtilis and S. typhi with the zone of inhibition was 11mm,19 mm,17 mm and 16 mm respectively. The water extract only inhibits the growth of S .aureus and B. subtilis. Total flavonoid content analysis found that the ethanol extract contains more flavonoid content and it is responsible for the antibacterial activity.
4. Thyme[10]
Table 4: Plant profile of Thyme
Common name |
Garden thyme |
Botanical name |
Thymus vulgaris |
Family |
Laminaceae |
Useful parts |
Leaves, flowers |
Constituents |
Thymol, camphor, pinene, p-cymene |
Type |
Woody based perennial plant |
Antibacterial activity
Thyme essential oil is through hydro distillation, where the drying thyme leaves are given steam and this causes the release of the essential oil by vaporising, that condenses and separates away from water, keeping up the chemical integrity of the oil. Thyme major component thymol highly shows antibacterial activity with its action on the disruption of the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria, which consequently inhibits nutrient transport as well as leads to the lysis of the bacteria. Studies have shown that thyme essential oil is effective in inhibiting various microorganisms such as E.coli and S. aureus with MIC ranging from 40 to 270 mg /ml. The antibacterial activity of thyme essential oil was strong against several pathogens with considerable inhibition zone and low MIC value in combination with chitosan.
5.Indian borage[11]
Table 5: Plant profile of Indian borage
Common name |
Indian mint |
Botanical name |
Plectranthus amboinicus |
Family |
Laminaceae |
Useful parts |
Flowers, leaves |
Constituents |
Caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, flavanoids |
Type |
Perennial plant |
Antibacterial activity
It has been shown for marked antibacterial activity mainly against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Solvent extraction based on polarities of the solvents used for Indian borage extraction is followed sequentially. Dry powder of leaves was taken first with hexane and ethyl acetate successively followed by acetone and methanol for 24 hours each under constant stirring. These extractions are further filtered and pooled and then concentrated via evaporation by solvent free vacuum drying; the end product obtained in this will be used for analysis purposes. The extract was measured against the bacteria, with pathogen studies being observed based on agar dilution: S. aureus and B. cereus, E. coli. Thus by interpreting MIC values we can define and declare that Acetone extract shows lower MIC, that is lower MIC with above said pathogen and that shows very high antimicrobial property with that. This activity is due to the high phenolic content in the extract, enhancing their effectiveness against bacterial growth
6. Neem[12]
Table 6: Plant profile of Neem
Common name |
Indian lilac |
Botanical name |
Azadirachta indica |
Family |
Meliaceae |
Useful parts |
Leaves,bark,seed |
Constituents |
Nimbin, nimbidin, nimbolinin,nimbidol |
Type |
Tree |
Antibacterial activity
Neem usually used in medicine and pharmaceutics . The stem and bark of neem has greater antibacterial activity against Klebsiella, Serratia species and Streptococcus. The antibacterial activity of ethanolic neem extract was carried out by dis diffusion method . The culture suspensions were inoculated on MHA using lawn culture, and sterile paper disks were impregnated with different concentrations of plant extracts. For a negative control, disks impregnated with 70% ethanol were placed at the centre of the inoculated MHA. Culture plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours, and zones of inhibition were measured using antibiotic susceptibly scale . The result shown that .A. indica was tested for antibacterial properties against 221 Gram negative pathogens such as E coli , Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Enterobacter species , Citrobacter species ,Proteus species , Cyanobacteria baumannii .
7. Turmeric[13]
Table 7: Plant profile of Turmeric
Common name |
Manjal |
Botanical name |
Curcuma longa |
Family |
Zingiberaceae |
Useful parts |
Rhizome |
Constituents |
Curcumin,volatile oil |
Type |
Perennial plant |
Antibacterial activity
The antibacterial activity of turmeric extract was carried out by cylindrical plated method of microbial assay. This method involves the diffusion of an antibiotic from a vertical cylinder or cavity through a solidified agar layer of a petri dish or plate to prevent growth of the added microorganism. A liquefied medium is inoculated with the necessary suspension of microorganisms, added to the medium at a temperature between 40 and 50°C, and poured into petri dishes or large rectangular plates. The plates or dishes must be stored to prevent significant growth or death of the test microorganism before use. Solutions of known concentrations of azithromycin and-turmeric extract were prepared using appropriate buffer solutions and applied to the surface of the solid medium in sterile cylinders. A sufficient quantity (15-25 µL) of the test and standard drug was added to each well. Paper discs used should be sterilized and impregnated with the solutions and placed on the surface of the medium. The petri plates were left standing for 1–4 h, at room temperature or at 4°C in a refrigerator, as a period of pre-incubation for proper diffusion of antibiotic solution through agar. The plates were incubated in upright position at 37°C in bacteriological incubator for 18–24 h for growth of bacteria. After Incubation period, well-defined zone of inhibition was seen around the well containing turmeric extract.
8. Mint[14]
Table 8: Plant profile of Mint
Common name |
Pudina |
Botanical name |
Mentha piperita |
Family |
Labiatae |
Useful parts |
Whole herb, leaves |
Constituents |
Menthol, menthyl acetate, menthofuran |
Type |
Perennial herb |
Antibacterial activity
Mint essential oils are studied due to their antibacterial activities against gram positive and gram-negative bacteria. They have great antibacterial activity against s, have great antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes and B. subtilis. The main constituents of mint is menthol and menthone. The presence of menthol is responsible for the antibacterial activity and it is the presence of hydroxyl group and the presence of system of delocalised electrons responsible for the antibacterial activity. There are various method to check the antibacterial activity of mint they are Agar diffusion test, Dilution test, Vapour phase test, TLC bioautography. The most used method is agar diffusion method ,in this method two techniques are used , the first one essential oils are adsorbed onto the paper disk and the second one, where the essential oil is put in a hole of agar surface. the size of inhibition is tested as a measure of antimicrobial potency. Some lipophilic compound like farnesol cause only small inhibition zones against Bacillus subtilis.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
In this review it’s understood that phytochemicals represent a possible source of effective, cheap and safe antibacterial agents. The results indicate that integrating antibacterial herbs into paper soap not only enhances the product's cleaning ability but also provides additional health benefits. While the addition of herbs improved the antibacterial properties, it also introduced challenges in production, such as the need for careful balancing of herb concentrations to avoid adverse effects on the soap's texture and solubility, though much work must still be carried out. The increasing consumer demand for natural and sustainable products suggests a promising market for herbal paper soaps. Emphasizing the antibacterial benefits can further attract health-conscious consumers.
CONCLUSION
Herbal plant extract and their oils were found to have antibacterial activity. Easy availability of plants and their effectiveness helps manufacturers with cause effective benefits with less side-effects, various ongoing studies and the diverse properties of herbs, serves as a guide for the discovery of new antibacterial agents. The current knowledge regarding antibacterial from plant provide strong recommendation for future research. Plants represent living chemical factories for the biosynthesis pf tremendous range of secondary metabolites that constitute the foundation for herbal medicines prepared from medicinal plants. Compounds of natural origin exhibiting biological activity always attracted the attention of scientists involved in infectious disease caused by bacterial pathogens.
REFERENCES
Ancy Antony*, Able Mariya Varghese, Devika Sanil, Litty Reji, Rahana Ramesh, The Usage of Antibacterial Botanicals in The Production of Paper Soap: A Comprehensive Review, Int. J. of Pharm. Sci., 2024, Vol 2, Issue 11, 1262-1268. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14216592