Microbial quality of selected brands of baby skin lotions and antimicrobial activity of some plant extracts/ pure compounds against potential pathogenic isolates

Abstract

Cosmetic are products which are intended to be applied on external part of human body mostly to encourage attractiveness, without affecting the body’s structure. Most cosmetics contain many components that favor the growth of microorganisms and the production of cosmetics cannot be completely hygienic process. The current study was conducted to determine the microbial quality of some selected brands of baby lotions and anti-microbial activity of extracts of Erythrina brucei, Calpurnia aurea and Millettia ferruginea. Questionnaires were used to collect preliminary data from pharmacies, boutiques, supermarkets and cosmetic shops to assess the risk factors for contamination of cosmetic products. A total of 90 cosmetic samples representative of three brands of baby lotions and oil were purchased from boutiques, supermarket and pharmacies for microbiological analysis. Based on the findings, 69.77 % of respondents reported that the Ethiopian government’s quality controlling system of cosmetics focus mainly on monitoring of expire date of products. About 39.53% of pharmacists, 20.93 % and 2.32% of respondents who have been working in boutique and supermarkets, respectively, reported that they did not have special time preference to transport the products from site of distribution (Addis Ababa and different site of Jimma town) to their own shop. However, 4.65% of respondents from boutique s reported that they transport the products in afternoon. In addition, 20.93% and 2.32% of boutique and cosmetics shop workers, respectively, reported that they did not consider the hostile effect of high temperature on the quality of cosmetics. In relation to the physicochemical properties of the assessed cosmetics, pH of the products was found ranging between 6.5-6.8. Microbiologically, the mean count of aerobic mesophilic bacterial and yeasts were 3.38 x 10 7 cfu/ml and 2.1x10 7 cfu/ml, respectively. Among the most prevalent microbial groups were coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp, Bacillus spp. Coliforms, Penicillin spp and Saccharomyces spp. Bacillus was more resistance isolate for tested antibiotics. Antimicrobial activity evaluation of extracts of the three selected plants and pure compounds isolated from the seeds of Millettia ferruginea showed poor activity on isolated bacterial species, A.The present study also showed that the preservatives used in all brands of baby lotions and oil were not active enough to protect the product from microbial spoilage as revealed by growth of different microbial groups upon storage of the cosmetics.