Ethnobotanical Leaflets 13:459-66, 2009.
Can Cerbera
odollam Fruit Extract Serve as an Anti-microbial Ingredient in
Deodorants?
S Gokul Shankar*,� Babu K, Subashini S and Sadananda Rai
R & D Center,
Cholayil Private Limited, Chennai,
India
*Corresponding
author: email : gokkavi@gmail.com, gokulshankars@cholayil.com
Issued 14 March 2009
Abstract
The antimicrobial activity of the
methanolic extract of Cerbera odollam
(suicide tree) seed kernel was studied against the common skin bacteria viz. Staphylococcus epidermidis,
Micrococcus luteus and
Propionibacterium acnes. Cerbera kernel methanolic extract failed
to record significant antimicrobial effect when compared to Triclosan &
Farnesol and hence its use for deodorant benefit may not be viable.
���������� Keywords: Cerbera odollam, Suicide tree, Skin
bacteria, deodorant, antimicrobial efficacy.
Introduction
�����
Cerbera odollam Gaertn. (Cerbera manghas L.), commonly known as the Suicide tree, Pong-pong,
and Othalanga, is a medicinal
plant belonging to the family Apocynaceae, native to India and other parts of
Southern Asia. It grows preferentially in coastal salt swamps and in marshy
areas. It grows wild along the coast in many parts of Kerala, India and has
been grown as a hedge between home compounds. It is cited that the fruit of
this plant is extremely poisonous if ingested (1, 2, 3 & 4). The fruits are used for manufacturing bio-insecticides
and deodorants (5). However, it is not clear whether the extract of
the fruit of this plant has anti-microbial effects on skin bacteria to
justify its use in deodorants. The present study
was undertaken to study the anti-bacterial efficacy of methanolic
extract of Cerbera odollam seed
kernel by Agar dilution technique against common skin bacteria viz. Staphylococcus
epidermidis, Micrococcus luteus, and Propionibacterium acnes and compare
its activity with other common antimicrobial ingredients (Triclosan &
Farnesol) used in deodorants.
Materials and Methods
�Collection of plant sample
����� The fruits of Cerbera odollam were collected from Cholayil Medicinal Plants
Conservation Park, Velagapuram, Chennai, India and authenticated using regional
flora (6).
Description of
fruit: The fruit, when still green, looks like a small mango, with a green
fibrous shell enclosing an ovoid kernel measuring approximately 2 cm � 1.5 cm and consisting of two cross-matching
white fleshy halves. On exposure to air, the white kernel turns violet, then
dark grey, and ultimately brown or black.
Preparation of extracts
������
40 g of
fresh kernels (from fresh and semi dried fruits) cut in to small pieces and
extracted in methanol by cold maceration method (3 to 4 days) until the
complete extracts were obtained. The combined extracts were concentrated on
water bath at low temperature and the final residue was weighed.
Antimicrobial
testing
Media: Soybean
Casein Digest Agar (Hi-Media M 290).
Cultures: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Micrococcus
luteus, and Propionibacterium acnes
Procedure:
1.
The methanolic extract of Cerbera
odollam was weighed at different concentrations ranging from 1, 2, 5, 10
and up to150 mg directly in to sterile Petri plates.
2.
10 ml of molten medium was added and
the actives were homogenized in the medium.
3.
The plates were air dried to remove
moisture.
4.
Forty micro liters (ml)
of culture suspension (103 dilutions) of 24-hour old
test organisms were
spread plated on to the media plates in triplicates.
5.
Appropriate controls were maintained.
6.
The plates were incubated at 37 �C
for 3 days.
7.
Growth was recorded.
8.
Similar method was adapted
for testing the efficacy of Triclosan and Farnesol against the test organisms
simultaneously.
�Interpretation Scale
The growth evaluation was done on a scale of
0 - Total inhibition on contact area
1 - Minimal growth on edge of contact area
2 - Occasional isolated micro-colonies on the contact
area
3 - Small number of micro-colonies on the contact area
4 � Luxuriant growth on the contact area, same as control
zone
Results
����� The activity of Cerbera extract was recorded to be in scale 4 for all organisms.
(Growth is luxuriant and is almost comparable to control). There was no
inhibition up to a concentration of 1.5 % for all the tested organisms.
(Tables 1,2, 3 & Plates 1, 2). Triclosan inhibited all the test organisms
at 0.1% level and Farnesol at 0.2% level
Table 1: Comparative
activity of Cerbera extract with other
antimicrobial ingredients on Staphylococcus
epidermidis
S. No
|
Ingredients
|
Minimum Inhibiting
concentration
(in %) on as is basis
|
1
|
Cerbera odollam methanolic extract
|
Not active up to 1.5%
|
2
|
Triclosan
|
0.1%
|
3
|
Farnesol
|
0.2%
|
Table 2: Comparative
activity of Cerbera extract with other
antimicrobial ingredients on �Micrococcus luteus
S. No
|
Ingredients
|
Minimum Inhibiting
concentration
(in %) on as is basis
|
1
|
Cerbera odollam methanolic extract
|
Not active up to 1.5%
|
2
|
Triclosan
|
0.1%
|
3
|
Farnesol
|
0.2%
|
Table 3: Comparative
activity of Cerbera extract with other
antimicrobial ingredients on Propionibacterium
acnes
S. No
|
Ingredients
|
Minimum Inhibiting
concentration
(in %) on as is basis
|
1
|
Cerbera odollam methanolic extract
|
Not active up to 1.5%
|
2
|
Triclosan
|
0.1%
|
3
|
Farnesol
|
0.2%
|

Plate 1: Control
� Staphylococcus epidermidis

Plate 2:� Luxuriant growth of S. epidermidis
at 1.5% methanolic extract of Cerbera odollam
Discussion and
Conclusion
������
Body odour is a major concern, which results in social stigma and
psychological stress in people all over the world. The eccrine or apocrine
sweat secretions are odourless fluids. The bacteria of the skin surface
multiply using the lipids present in the apocrine secretions to produce lower
chain fatty acids. Some of these fatty acids are volatile and malodor is
associated with them. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes and
Corynebacteria, which represent the predominant flora of the skin surface,
act in conjunction with the other Gram-positive skin bacteria in the
formation of body odour (7 & 8). Any anti-microbial ingredient in a
deodorant should therefore inhibit the growth of skin bacteria causing
malodor. Hence it was planned to test the
Cerebera odollam extract for its efficacy in inhibiting the growth of the
common skin bacteria.
������
Cerbera odollam methanolic extract failed to record antimicrobial
activity against S. epidermidis, Micrococcus luteus, and Propionibacterium
acnes even up to
a concentration of 1.5% as against the other common antimicrobials viz.
Triclosan (0.1%) and Farnesol (0.2%) that is commonly used in deodorants. The
study concludes that the methanolic extract of Cerebera kernel can not be used as an antimicrobial agent for
consideration in deodorants. Further the literature cited concerns on its
toxicity (1-4), also needs to be concerned and hence this study discourages
the use of the extract of Cerbera
fruit/kernel for cosmetic purposes such as use in deodorants.
Acknowledgenents
We sincerely acknowledge Mr. VS Pradeep, Managing Director and
Ms. Jayadevi Pradeep, Directress R & D, Cholayil Private Limited,
Chennai, India for their constant support and encouragement.
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