Heliyon
Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2020, e03105
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Research article
Managing Vibrio cholerae with a local beverage: preparation of an affordable ethanol based hand sanitizer

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e03105Get rights and content
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Abstract

Research indicates an increased use of hand sanitizers globally, and in particular developing countries where bacterial epidemics such as cholera are common. While there is evidence of availability, high demand and use of hand sanitizers, the incidence of cholera in developing countries remains unabated. Several reasons have been put forward, and cost of hand sanitizers remains dominant. It is in response to this contradictory situation of availability but limited access, that this study was conducted to present an alternative option of formulating a high quality and cost effective ethanol-based sanitizer from a Ghanaian local beverage (akpeteshie). The concentration of ethanol in akpeteshie was determined using gas chromatography. An Ethanol based hand sanitizer (Sample C) was formulated with akpeteshie and tested against Vibrio cholerae using the microbial time -kill kinetics assay. Commercially available ethanol based Equi-Clean hand sanitizer (62%) (Sample D) was used as the standard. Results show that the akpeteshie contained 73.08% ethanol and formulated product (Sample C) contained 63.70% ethanol. Viscosity and pH of Sample C were; 89 rpm (1.48 cps) and 7.30 respectively whiles that of Sample D were; 80 rpm (1.33 cps) and 7.50 respectively. The formulated product (Sample C) was effective against Vibrio cholerae with a gradual reduction in microbial count upon exposure to the organisms at time intervals of 0, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min.

Keywords

Analytical chemistry
Natural product chemistry
Pharmaceutical chemistry
Public health
Akpeteshie
Ghana
Time-kill test
Vibrio cholerae
Ethanol based hand sanitiser (EBHS)
Local gin
Gas chromatography
Natural product

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