Do Aloe vera and Ageratum conyzoides enhance the anti-microbial activity of traditional medicinal soft soaps (Osedudu)?

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 92; no. 1; pp. 57 - 60
• Main Authors: Moody, J.O, Adebiyi, O.A, Adeniyi, B.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.05.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Ageratum; Ageratum conyzoides; Aloe; Aloe vera; Anti-Infective Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-microbial; antibacterial properties; Bacteria - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Candida albicans - drug effects; Cocoa pod husks; General pharmacology; Humans; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Palm kernel shafts; Palm Oil; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; physicochemical properties; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Oils; Soaps; traditional medicine; Traditional soft soaps; tribal peoples; Yorubas; Nigeria; Ageratum conyzoides; Cocoa pod husks; Palm kernel shafts; Aloe vera; Traditional soft soaps; Anti-microbial; Pod; Pharmacognosy; Raw materials; In vitro; Medicinal plant; Fungi; Folk medicine; Dicotyledones; Sterculiaceae; Angiospermae; Ash; Plant origin; Spermatophyta; Chemical properties; Theobroma cacao; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.01.018

The Nigerian traditional soft soaps prepared using varied locally sourced raw materials such as cocoa pod ash ( Theobroma cacao) palm kernel shaft ash ( Elaies guineensis) have been evaluated for their physico-chemical properties and anti-microbial activities using standard pharmacopoeia protocols and an in-vitro agar diffusion bioassay method. The anti-microbial evaluation was done with and without incorporation of Aloe vera and Ageratum conyzoides extractives into the soap samples. Results showed that the physico-chemical properties of the soaps are dependent on the raw materials utilised. The incorporated medicinal plants used in this study, however, did not show any significant effect on the anti-microbial activities exhibited by the various soaps against the bacterial and fungal test organisms.