EFFICACY OF GUAVA LEAVES (Psidii guajavae folium) AS AN ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP

De Guzman, F., Mendoza, S.I., Salazar, D.J., Ballesteros, E., Mangalindan, G., Taberna, M.L.,
Supremido, J., Vinluan, C., Ferrer, M.D., Calimlim, J.C., Perez, C., Ventura, G.

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

This study stems from the growing interest in exploring natural alternatives to traditional
synthetic antibacterial agents. Guava (Psidium guajava) is a tropical fruit widely recognized for
its medicinal properties, including its antimicrobial potential. The leaves of the guava plant
contain bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, and essential oils, which have
demonstrated antibacterial properties in previous research. Given the increasing concerns
about the overuse of chemical-based antibacterial soaps and the emergence of antibiotic-
resistant strains of bacteria, there is a pressing need to investigate sustainable and natural
solutions. This study aims to contribute to the existing knowledge by evaluating the antibacterial
efficacy of guava leaf extracts in the formulation of a soap, potentially providing a safe and eco-
friendly alternative for personal hygiene.

The research design involves extracting bioactive compounds from guava leaves and
incorporating them into a soap formulation. The antibacterial activity will be assessed through
laboratory experiments, specifically by testing the soap against common bacteria known to
cause skin infections. The findings of this study may not only contribute to the development of a
novel and natural antibacterial soap but also promote the utilization of locally available plant
resources for personal care products, reducing dependence on synthetic chemicals. Ultimately,
the exploration of guava leaves as an antibacterial soap aligns with the global trend towards
sustainable and nature-based solutions in various fields, including healthcare and personal
hygiene.

Statement of the Objectives

The objective of this study is to determine whether guava leaves can be used as
antibacterial soap. Specifically, the aim of this study was to:

1. Create a soap product that can be used as antibacterial.

2. Specify if there is a significant difference among the control and applied antibacterial soap
in a petri dish that will be tested in 2 weeks.
 3. Identify whether the components found in guava leaves can be used as antibacterial by
comparing the three (3) petri dish, one without soap nor guava leaves, one with just
soap but without guava leaves, and one with the mixed guava leaves soap.

4. Determine if guava leaves can be used as antibacterial in terms of:

a. physical reaction; and

b. culturing bacteria in a petri dish

Hypotheses

From the problem presented above, the following hypotheses were formulated:

a.) There are components present in guava leaves that could serve as an
effective antibacterial.

b.) By culturing bacteria, the researchers will compare the control group and the
experimental group by observing the physical reaction of the bacteria on different petri
dish.

c.) The guava leaves soap can either be dishwashing soap or body soap
depending on the ingredients. It can be antibacterial if guava leaves is added in a
controlled amount.

Scope and Delimitations

This study will find out if the guava leaves can be used as antibacterial soap by
investigating and creating an experiment. The experiment will be done at Calasiao
Comprehensive National High School during the S.Y. 2023-2024. This paper aimed to
determine the corresponding components present in guava leaves and how effective
they are as antibacterial soap. This study is intended to know if the guava leaves can be
an efficient alternative in the prevention of bacteria. Further, this study will mainly identify
the different effect of every group in two (2) weeks. This study will also identify whether
guava leaves soap will have physical reaction on the petri dish.

This study will be conducted with a limited amount of financial resources and
time frame.
Conceptual Framework

To understand more about the factors involved in the study, the researchers constructed
the diagram below.

Dependent
Independent Intervening
Variable
Variable Variable

Glycerin Microbiome Guava Leaves Soap

Figure 1. Paradigm of the Independent Variable, Intervening Variable, and Dependent Variable
of the study “Efficacy of Guava Leaves as an Antibacterial Soap”.