EMADULDEEN HATEM ABED, DHIFAF JABBAR SHAMRAN, SALIH ABDULRIDHA ALSALIH ALBAKRI, MOHAMMED M. T. A. AND DHUHA J. M.
Environment Research Center, University of Technology-Iraq, Iraq
*(e-mail : Emduldeen.h.abed@uotechnology.edu.iq; Mobile : + 964 77072 53359)
(Received : January 18, 2022; Accepted : March 14, 2022)
ABSTRACT
The present research aimed at increasing the antimicrobial efficiency of alcohol-based hand sanitizers
by mixing them with ethanol and hexane crude extracts of Teucrium polium leaves. Bacterial samples
were collected from the palm of the hands of 50 people to both sexes and it was found that Escherichia
coli and Citrobacter freundii were present (76 and 68%). Ethanol and hexane of leaf extracts were used at
concentrations (50, 25, 12.5, 6.25 and 3.125 mg/ml). The inhibitory activity was studied using the agar
well diffusion method and the new mimic method which simulated the process of wiping hands with
sterilizer. The results of the first method showed that the ethanol and hexane extract of the leaves of
this plant had a different inhibition effect for both bacteria, where the low concentrations of 3.125 mg/
ml showed the best inhibition compared to the rest of the concentrations with inhibition diameter 21
and 23 mm for the ethanol extract and 28 and 25 mm for the hexane extract. The results of the second
method confirmed that where the concentration of 3.125 mg/ml strong inhibition, and when mixing
hand sanitizer with these concentrations of extracts and using both methods, the inhibitory effect
increased better than using hand sanitizer alone or extracts alone and in preference to concentration
3.125 mg/ml. It can be concluded that mixing the extracts of T. polium plant with the alcohol-based hand
sanitizer led to an increase in its effectiveness in inhibiting the growth of E. coli and C. freundii.
Key words : Hand sanitizer, E. coli, Citrobacter freundii, Teucrium polium, mimic method