Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region III
Division of Nueva Ecija
Bartolome Sangalang National High School
Guimba, Nueva Ecija

“Formulation and Evaluation of Psidium Guajava

(Guava) leaf extract as alternative hand sanitizer.”
Nicole Ann G. Bautista
Jennie R. Acapuyan
John Cedrick D. Baluyut
Heart Ann B. De Vera
Rowie Lutap
Elvin Jhon G. Occasion
11-STEM RYANN

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a worldwide

health crisis that has changed our perceptions of the world and our daily lives.
Given the fact that no medication to cure this disease has been found, various
researchers and pharmaceutical companies are working to develop vaccines and
treatments. The new coronavirus spreads primarily when someone with the
infection talks, coughs, or sneezes, sending large respiratory droplets containing
the virus into the air where other people can inhale them, the CDC explains.
Experts believe people with new coronavirus and similarly transmitted diseases
can spread these droplets up to six feet away. Hand sanitizer really protects only
your hands from picking up those droplets and transferring them to your mouth,
nose, and eyes. [1]

World Health Organization recommended alcohol-based hand sanitizers for

frequent hand hygiene, which are mainly made up from ethanol, isopropyl
alcohols, hydrogen peroxides in different combinations. These preparations may
become toxic to human health and environment when misused. These chemicals
have known toxic and hazardous impact on environment when released by
evaporation. [2]

In early five months of 2020, American Association of Poison Control

Center reported 9504 alcoholic hand sanitizer exposure cases in children under
the age of 12 years and recognized that even a small amount of alcohol can cause
alcohol poisoning in children that is responsible for confusion, vomiting and
drowsiness, and in severe cases, respiratory arrest and death. [3]
 The main objective of this project is to make a formulation that has less side
effects and has better cleaning of hands using the ethanol extract from the leaves
of Guava. Adaptation of alternative preparations of hand sanitizers based on
natural and plant resources can be the possible solution to get ride off toxicity
problem.

Guava, Psidium guajava (Linn.), a member of Myrtaceae family, is a

common tropical plant with a long history of traditional usage. It is used not only
as food but also as folk medicine, and various parts of this plant have a number of
medicinal properties ranging from antimicrobial activity to anticancer property.

The guava (Psidium guajava) is a phytotherapic plant used in folk medicine

that is believed to have active components that help to treat and manage various
diseases. The many parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine to
manage conditions like malaria, gastroenteritis, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery,
wounds, ulcers, toothache, coughs, sore throat, inflamed gums, and a number of
other conditions [4–5]. This plant has also been used for the controlling of life-
changing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity [3, 5]. In this
study, we aim to evaluate the total extracts of P. guajava leaves, growing at Fort
Valley State University, using various aqueous and organic solvents to establish if
it is effective against killing or inhibiting the growth of foodborne bacterium
Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, and Bacillus
cereus which can cause foodborne illness and spoilage.

Phytochemicals isolated from guava leaf extract have been shown to have
antibacterial action (Guintu and Chua, 2013). Flavonoids, saponins, tannins,
triterpenoids, and eugenol are bioactive chemical ingredients found in guava
leaves, with flavonoids and polyphenolic chemicals predominating over others
(Mailoa et al., 2013). Phenolic compounds are responsible for inhibiting microbial
growth, and because guava leaves are high in phenolic compounds, they have
excellent antimicrobial qualities.

The guava tree is an evergreen small tree. The guava leaves are 2 to 6
inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide, aromatic when crushed, and appear dull-green
with stiff but coriaceous with pronounced veins [6]. There are bioactive
components in the guava leaf that can fight against pathogens, regulate blood
glucose levels, and can even aid in weight loss.
 The leaves of guava contain an essential oil rich in cineol, tannins,
triterpenes, flavonoids, resin, eugenol, malic acid, fat, cellulose, chlorophyll,
mineral salts, and a number of other fixed substances [7].

This research will investigate the leaves of guava if it could be extracted as

alternative hand sanitizer. The aims of this study are to find the properties guava
leaves to make herbal hand sanitizer, what will be the possible component of
Psidium Guajava leaves can a source of hand sanitizer, how to extract guava leaves
into Hand sanitizer and to make a hand sanitizer that has less side effects to
reduce chemical toxic and hazardous impact on human and environment.

REFERENCE

[1] Can Hand Sanitizer Prevent Spread of Coronavirus Infection (indushealthplus.com)

[2] COVID-19 and frequent use of hand sanitizers; human health and environmental hazards by
exposure pathways - ScienceDirect

[3] COVID-19 and frequent use of hand sanitizers; human health and environmental hazards by
exposure pathways (nih.gov)

[4] Antimicrobial activity of Psidium guajava L. - ScienceDirect

[5] Chemical constituents from the leaves of Psidium guajava: Natural Product Research: Vol
18, No 2 (tandfonline.com)

[6] Morton: Fruits of warm climates - Google Scholar

[7] Assessment techniques of antimicrobial properties of natural compounds of plant origin:

current methods and future trends | African Journal of Biotechnology (ajol.info)