Abstract

*Sachin Jalindar Fartade, Aniket Balaprasad Dode, Mahesh Arjun Garje, Pratima Santoshkumar Ladda, Vaibhav Murlidhar Kewatkar and Shubhangi Sharadrao Wayal

ABSTRACT

Nosocomial infection has emerged as a critical issue in hospital care outcome, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. The hands of healthcare workers are the primary routes of transmission of infection to patients. Hence it brings up the use of antiseptic for handwashing purposes. Many of the antiseptic available in market are alcohol-based sanitizers which have some shortcomings or adverse effects and their frequent use can lead to skin irritation. Carica papaya is one of the most widely used and well documented medicinal plant in the world. This study is aimed to formulate effective herbal handwash using Manilkara zapota, Trigonella foenum-graecum and Carica papaya seed extracts with emphasis on safety and efficacy and to avoid risk occurred by synthetic antimicrobials. Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of prepared polyherbal gel was performed against skin pathogens using disc diffusion method. Its efficacy was checked and compared with commercial product. Results of this study revealed that formulated gel as a skin cleanser was more efficient in reducing the number of microorganisms from human skin than the commercial antiseptic soaps, so it can be used as an antiseptic with less or no side effects. Also some of the in vitro evaluations tests were also performed on prepared formulation and this study was compared with some marketed herbal formulations.