Formulation and Assessment of the Antimicrobial Properties of Herbal Soap Made with Bioactive Neem Plant Azadirachta Indica

In this research work, Azadirachta indica leaf extract was used to produce herbal soap as an ecofriendly product. The neem leaf samples were obtained from the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda campus. Ethanolic extraction process and concentration of crude extract were carried out. Different concentration of extract was used for the production of herbal soap: 10%, 20% and 30%. Phytochemical determination was carried out on the crude extract, and the following phytochemical compounds were determined: Alkaloid, Tannin, Saponins, terpenoid, and Phenol. Physicochemical assessment and antimicrobial activities were also carried out on the herbal soap produced. Moisture content, Total fatty matter, free alkali, free fatty acid, chloride content, pH, Form height, and hardness. All the values obtained fall within Iso/AOAC standard value for the toilet soap. The antimicrobial activities were examined against some clinical isolates of pathogenic microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) using the agar diffusion method. The pattern of inhibition varied with the soap concentration. The inhibition zone of each herbal soap against the test organism is E. coli: 1.45cm, 1,46 cm, and 1.65 cm for the concentrations of crude extract 10%, 20% and 30% respectively. While the inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus, 1.45cm, 1.46cm, and 1.55cm against the different concentrations of the extract. Therefore, the 30% crude extract used for the production of the herbal soap shows a high sensitivity against E. coli