Antimicrobial polysaccharide of durian-rinds and natural essential oils combination in an effective non-alcoholic antiseptic lotion for hands

This study aimed to evaluate antimicrobial activity of natural essential oils, tea-tree oil (TTO) from Malaleuca alterifolia Cheel, and betel vine oil (BO) from Piper betle L.; and to prepare non-alcoholic antiseptic hand-lotion by using antimicrobial polysaccharide gel (PG) isolated from fruit-rind of durian, Durio zibethinus Murr., [1, 2] in combination with essential oils. PG, TTO or BO each showed good inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, icrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris and Propionibacterium acnes by agar diffusion and broth macrodilution methods [3]. Minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of each single component, i.e. PG, TTO and BO against the tested bacteria were 2.5%, 0.156–0.625% and 0.020–0.156% w/v, respectively. TTO or BO each by itself also killed other bacteria and fungi including Streptococcus typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. PG at 2.5% w/w was used in combination with 1% w/w TTO and 0.5% w/w BO to prepare hand-lotion. Antimicrobial activity of the hand-lotion prepared was evaluated where clear inhibition zone against all tested microorganisms by using agar diffusion test was observed. For in vitro Time-kill analysis, the hand-lotion prepared killed all the tested bacteria, S. aureus and E. coli, within 15min. Upon hand-washing test [4], the treated hands exposed to the antiseptic hand-lotion prepared showed significant reduction of hand normal flora compared to a positive control exposed to a commercially available alcoholic antiseptic hand gel. Thus, PG in combination with TTO together with BO is of good potential to be used for preparing a non-alcoholic antiseptic lotion used topically on hands or skin.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by Annual Research Budget of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sci., Chulalongkorn University.

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