Developing a plant based hand sanitizer using antibacterial Apium graveolens leaf extract.

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Microbiology
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• Indigenous plants possess bioactive compounds like alkaloids, flavonoids, and polyphenols with antimicrobial properties.
• Natural ingredients are increasingly sought for disinfectant and antiseptic applications, including hand sanitizers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antibacterial potential of celery leaf (Apium graveolens L.) extract.
• To optimize extraction parameters for celery leaf extract.
• To assess the suitability of celery leaf extract for hand sanitizer formulations.

Main Methods:

• Optimized extraction of celery leaf using specific solvent concentration, temperature, and time.
• Quantified total phenolic content using Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE).
• Assessed antibacterial activity via inhibition zone measurements at various extract concentrations.

Main Results:

• Optimized extraction yielded high total phenolic content (62.70 mg GAE/g) and initial antimicrobial activity (11.02 mm).
• Celery leaf extract demonstrated dose-dependent antibacterial efficacy.
• The highest inhibition zone (12.83 mm) was observed at 75% extract concentration.

Conclusions:

• Celery leaf extract possesses significant antibacterial properties.
• Optimized celery leaf extract is a viable natural ingredient for antimicrobial formulations.
• The findings support the development of celery leaf-based hand sanitizers.