Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Hand Wash Using Balanites aegyptiaca (Hinganbet)
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Abstract
Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del., which is also called "Hinganbet" or "Desert Date", has been documented as a medicinal plant from the family of Zygophyllaceae. It is extensively distributed throughout the arid and semi-arid regions of India, Africa and the Middle East. The plant contains a variety of bioactive phytoconstituents like saponins, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and polyphenols. These phytoconstituents contribute to various biological activities, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. With increasing public concern about synthetic surfactants, such as triclosan, parabens, and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), used in commercial hand wash products, there is now greater interest in using plant-based substitutes. This study provides information on the production of an aqueous extract of B. aegyptiaca fruits and the incorporation of this extract into a liquid hand washing formulation containing additives including glycerine, SLS, aloe vera gel, methylparaben, and citric acid. Physiochemical characteristics - appearance, pH, foam height/foam retention, viscosity/spreadability were tested, along with skin irritation testing, for this hand wash. In addition, the hand washing solution's ability to inhibit microbial growth was tested using the agar-well diffusion technique with E. coli and S. aureus. Foam height/retention was in a satisfactory range of 7-9 cm / 90% respectively; pH = 6.2 (acceptable skin pH range = 5.5-7.0); zones of inhibition for E. coli = 12mm; zones of inhibition for S. aureus = 14mm. No degradation in colour or odor, or phase separation occurred under accelerated storage condition stability tests. Therefore these data demonstrate that the formulated herbal hand cleaning product is a safe, effective, ecologically friendly and cost-effective replacement for commercially available synthetic hand cleansing products.
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