The Utilization of Oil Palm Leaves (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Waste as an Antibacterial Solid Bar Soap

Abstract

Abstract Oil palm leaves (Elaeis guineensis Jacq), which have been underutilized by the community and become waste that usually stacked around the trees, have a potential to be used as active ingredients for making antibacterial solid bar soap. The chemical content of oil palm leaves are tannins, alkaloids and flavonoids that known had antibacterial activity. This research aims to produce oil palm leaves extracts into an active ingredient of solid bar soap formulation with antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and also to evaluate the quality of the solid bar soap. The soap was formulated into 3 formulas with varying concentrations of oil palm leaves ethanolic extract that was F1 (1% ), F2 (2%), and F3 (4%). Oil palm leaves extract was prepared with maceration using ethanol 70%. Antibacterial activity assay of the solid bar soap was carried out using a disc diffusion method with tetracycline as the positive control (K+) and distilled water as the negative control (K-). The soap quality was evaluated for its organoleptic, foam level and foam stability, pH, hardness, water content and free fatty acid. The results showed that all three solid soap formulas meet the soap quality requirements of SNI No. 3532-2016. The solid bar soap did not have inhibition properties against Escherichia coli. However, had inhibition effect against Staphylococcus aureus with an average Inhibition Zone Diameter (IZD) on soap base, F1, F2, and F3 was 8.02 mm, 8.53 mm, 10.53 mm, 12.91 mm respectively.