Antibacterial Activity of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Kombucha Soap against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis: Aktivitas Antibakteri Sabun Kombucha Serai (Cymbopogon citratus) terhadap Staphylococcus aureus dan Staphylococcus epidermidis

Zenia Nirmala Bintang; Kinanti Lestari; Rahma Faradillah; Mercyska Suryandari; Rizky Darmawan; Desy Irawati

doi:10.53342/pharmasci.v11i2.605

Authors

Zenia Nirmala Bintang
Kinanti Lestari Akademi Farmasi Surabaya
Rahma Faradillah
Mercyska Suryandari
Rizky Darmawan
Desy Irawati

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53342/pharmasci.v11i2.605

Keywords:

aktivitas antibakteri, kombucha, sabun kombucha, sabun kombucha serai, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis

Abstract

Bromhydrosis is commonly associated with bacterial activity on the skin surface, particularly by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Kombucha and lemongrass are known to possess antibacterial activity; however, research regarding the formulation of kombucha-lemongrass liquid soap and the effect of fermentation duration on its antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis remains very limited. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of kombucha-lemongrass liquid soap against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis varying both fermentation duration and concentration. Natural ingredients as antibacterial agents in personal care products has gained increasing attention due to their safety and environmental friendliness. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of liquid soap formulated with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) kombucha fermented for different durations against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Lemongrass kombucha was fermented for 14 and 21 days, formulated into liquid soap, and tested at concentrations of 50%, 75%, and 100% using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Antibacterial activity was determined by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zones after incubation at 37°C for 24 hours. The results demonstrated that all formulations inhibited the growth of both test bacteria. Increased fermentation time and soap concentration enhanced antibacterial activity. The highest inhibition zones were observed in the 21-day fermentation at 100% concentration, reaching 22.4±1.1 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and
18.5±0.7 mm against Staphylococcus epidermidis. These findings indicate that a longer fermentation period improves the antibacterial properties of lemongrass kombucha soap. Therefore, liquid soap containing lemongrass kombucha has promising potential as a natural antibacterial cleansing product for inhibiting bacteria associated with skin infections and body odor.
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