Antimicrobial activities of soaps containing Senna alata leaf extract

Abstract

Senna alata is an important ethnomedicinal plant and is often used traditionally to treat skin diseases. Hence, it can be a potential attractive ingredient for natural skincare products. In this study, we determined the potential of producing antimicrobial soaps by using S. alata leaf extract, either aqueous crude extract or essential oil, as the key ingredient and also virgin coconut oil as the base. Although S. alata essential oil is not feasible yet to be considered for soap production due to its poor extraction yield, the aqueous leaf crude extract had shown promising potential. Our antimicrobial assays showed the aqueous extract exhibited antifungal activity but did not show any antibacterial activity under the conditions tested. Similarly, the prototypes of S. alata soap containing the aqueous extract also showed an antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Therefore, the potential use of S. alata for antimicrobial soaps warrants further consideration and studies.