Preparation and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Herbal Lotion: Potential Anti-lice Activity

Abstract

Head lice are ectoparasites that live on the human head. The present study aimed to formulate an organic anti-lice lotion containing extracts of Tamarindus indica, Trigonella foenum, and Acacia concinna, as well as tea tree and neem oils. The ethanolic and aqueous plant extracts were obtained by Soxhlet extraction and the decoction method. Oil-in-water emulsion was evaluated for physical appearance, spreadability, pH, viscosity stability, FTIR analysis, and antimicrobial activity. F12 was selected due to its smooth appearance, optimum spreadability, stable pH, and optimum viscosity. Stability studies showed that the F12 formulation was physically and chemically stable. All the functional groups were verified to identify the active ingredients, and their presence in the final formulation proved its compatibility. The disc diffusion method was used to test the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts as well as optimized formulations against two bacterial species, namely Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli). F12 formulation showed an inhibitory effect (zones of inhibition 10.34±1.2 and 9.82±0.87). In conclusion, organic anti-lice lotion offered a potential treatment strategy due to its anti-lice application, suggesting it may be an alternative treatment for head lice problems.