Antimicrobial Activity Of Organic Potash Soap Produced From Palm Bunch Waste.

Hydrogen peroxide acts through the liberation of oxygen gas. Although the antibacterial activity of hydrogen peroxide is relatively weak, the liberation of oxygen bubbles produces an effervescent action, which may be useful for wound cleansing through removal of tissue debris. The activity of hydrogen peroxide may be reduced by the presence of blood and pus. The appropriate concentration of hydrogen peroxide for antiseptic use is 3%, although higher concentrations are available.

Thimerosol (Mersol) is a mercury compound with activity against bacteria and yeasts.

 Antisepsis was recommended by Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis in 1847, but, tragically, perhaps he was not understood then, and he was ignored. Later in 1867, the british surgeon was inspired by Louis Pasteur's germ theory of putrefaction and therefore suggested that the widespread introduction of antiseptic surgical procedures would help reduce post-surgical infections. He articulated this in his paper Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery in 1867. In this paper, Lister advocated the use of carbolic acid (phenol) as a method of ensuring that any germ present were killed. Joseph Smith alluded to the use of alcohol as an antiseptic in February 1833, when he remarked that it should not be drunk but for cleaning the skin (Eming, et al., 2007). It is necessary to develop products that can inhibit bacteria.

Just as there are numerous antiseptic that have been manufactured to inhibit the pathogenic activities of microorganism , bacteria have as well developed resistance to some of this antiseptic therefore they may no longer be as effective as they were initially. Previous research have shown that potash could be used as soap for cleaning but not much have been done to determine the number of local isolates of microorganisms that could be inhibited by organic potash extracted from burnt agricultural waste, and this is the crux of this work. There are a good number of agricultural waste that their second hand value are not utilized, and channeling them into the production of antiseptics would not be a bad idea.

1.2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Pathogenic bacteria have been a vital problem to the health stability of humans all over the world, so there is need to develop means of which these bacteria can be inhibited from affecting the health and activities of man.  Just as there are numerous antiseptics that have been manufactured to inhibit the pathogenic microorganisms, research have made it known to scientists that bacteria have as well developed resistance to some of this antiseptic therefore they may no longer be as effective as they were initially so there is need to produce fresh antiseptic or antimicrobial agents using different substances of which this organisms have no resistance against yet.  

1.3. AIM AND OBJECTIVES 

1.3.1. AIM

The aim of this study is to produce organic potash soap and assay for their antimicrobial properties.

1.3.1.2 OBJECTIVES 

1. To extract organic potash from palm bunch waste by burning the waste and extracting the potash from the ash.

2. To prepare organic potash soap by adding vegetable oil obtained from local sources to the potash.

3. To determine the antimicrobial activity of the soap against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.