ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF BLACK SOAP FORTIFIED WITH Acalypha wilkesiana ON SOME SELECTED SKIN PATHOGENS

Introduction: The medicinal properties of Acalypha wilkesiana especially on skin diseases causing organisms have been recognized for long and have been the subject of many publications.

Objectives: Antimicrobial activity of black soap fortified with Acalypha wilkesiana was carried out against some selected skin pathogenic organisms using disc diffusion method.

Methodology: The test was conducted on six organisms viz Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum, and Klebisiella pneumoniae while the Typed organisms were Staphylococcus aureus ATCC-25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-27853 Escherichia coli ATCC-25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC-11930, and Candida albicans ATCC-10261. Varying concentrations of the fortified soap were used against the test organisms. At (10 g of soap and 15 g of plant) concentration, all the test organisms were susceptible and compared with convectional black market soap and Septol.

Results: The highest zone of inhibition was 28±0.00 mm and lowest 8.00 mm for Escherichia coli and Candida albicans respectively. The qualities (colour of the soap, foam height, foam stability etc) of the soap were also determined and were with NAFDAC standard. The minimum inhibitory concentrations mg/mL (31.25) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (62.5) of the soaps were determined.