Formulation, evaluation and antimicrobial effect of herbal disinfectants

The cost-effective herbal disinfectant formulations from indigenously available plants with their potential antimicrobial activity against hospital-derived microbial flora are of interest. Hence, a total of six herbal disinfectant formulations were prepared with indigenously available plants and tested for the antimicrobial activity using a standard protocol. The results show that <i>Citrobacter koseri</i> isolated from the Ophthalmology ward showed the highest sensitivity to <i>Acacia nilotica</i> herbal disinfectant and the inhibition zone identified was 35mm higher than standard tested antibiotics. Chemical composition analysis of <i>Acacia nilotica</i>, <i>Moringa oleifera</i>, and <i>Senna alata</i> herbal formulations using qualitative and FTIR methods showed the presence of various bioactive compounds contributing to their antimicrobial activity. Thus, the promise for advancing infection control practices in addressing the challenges of antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings is evident.