Pemanfaatan Ekstrak Tanaman Gedi (Abelmoschus manihot L.) Asal Kabupaten Wakatobi Sebagai Bahan Aktif Antibakteri Dalam Pembuatan Hand Sanitizer

Abstract

The most important health problem in developing countries, including Indonesia, is infection, which is transmitted by microorganisms. Various types of microorganisms attach to hands every day through physical contact with the environment. Hand sanitizer can be the product of choice for today's society. Hand sanitizers can be made from alcohol, glycerol, trichosan and other chemicals. The alcohol content in the hand sanitizer has bactericidal activity, but excessive use of alcohol can cause irritation to the skin, especially in children. Utilization of extracts from traditional herbal gardens can be an alternative to overcome this. Gedi (Abelmoschus manihot L.) is a plant that is often used as traditional medicine by people in Wakatobi Regency and is known to contain antimicrobial compounds in the form of flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, and saponins which have been shown to have antibacterial effects. This study uses gedi plant extract as a sample of the active antibacterial ingredient in the manufacture of Hand Sanitizer which will be tested using bacteria Staphylococcus aureus in the UHO FMIPA biomolecule and environmental laboratory to see its antibacterial ability. The results of the organoleptic test showed that the Hand Sanitizer was in the form of a liquid preparation, had a distinctive smell of gedi plants, was green in color and felt cold when used. The results of the inhibition zone test at gedi leaf extract concentrations of 45, 35 and 25%/100 ml hand sanitizer showed that preparations containing 45% extract had the greatest inhibition with an average of 17.97 mm. The weakness of this product is generally found in the specific aroma of gedi leaves which gets more pungent with an increase in the concentration of the extract. So that it is necessary to add other aromas to be able to compete with commercial products made from active alcohol which also use perfume.