FORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ANTI-BACTERIAL CREAM USING HEMPEDU BUMI (ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA)

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a bacterium that causes skin infection as a result of skin colonization, is becoming increasingly resistant to many commonly used antibiotics. Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata) or hempedu bumi, traditionally used for the treatment of inflammation and infection, in extract form has been shown to exhibited anti-bacterial activity against various bacteria. This study aims to examine the anti-bacterial properties of A. paniculata towards S. aureus and formulate A. paniculata into cream to determine its anti-bacterial properties. Plant extraction using water was performed at Forest Research Institute Malaysia. Different concentrations (5%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of aqueous extract of and cream containing A. paniculata were used in the disc diffusion method for determination of antibacterial activity towards S. aureus. The creams were evaluated physically and chemically. Microbiological pre- and post-testing were carried out for both extract and cream formulations to determine their anti-bacterial properties. Both extract and cream containing A. paniculata showed good anti-bacterial properties against S. aureus. The anti-bacterial activities were proportional to the concentration of extract alone and in the cream. All cream formulations showed satisfactory physical properties with a smooth texture, emollient, non-greasy, and easy to remove with water. The creams also showed good stability in various temperatures after prolonged storage. It is concluded that A. paniculata has the potential to be developed as a cream for skin infections caused by S. aureus. Future research is required to confirm the effectiveness of the A. paniculata cream formulation.