HANSEN (BIO-HAND KERSENITIZER) sebagai Bahan Antiseptik Alami dalam Formulasi Gel Pembersih Tangan

ABSTRAK

Di Indonesia, diare menjadi pembunuh balita nomor dua. Faktor yang paling sering menimbulkan diare adalah infeksi bakteri Escherichia coli. Bakteri menyebar melalui berbagai media, misalnya tangan. Cara mencegahnya dapat dilakukan cuci tangan yang dapat menurunkan jumlah bakteri di tangan hingga 58%. Saat ini, muncul cara cuci tangan yang efektif membunuh bakteri, yakni menggunakan hand sanitizer. Namun, produk di pasaran memiliki kandungan bahan kimia yang berisiko mengiritasi kulit. Risiko tersebut dapat dikurangi dengan memakai bahan alami yang aman digunakan seperti daun kersen (Muntingia calabura L.) yang memiliki kemampuan antiseptik. Selain itu, penggunaan daun kersen sebagai bahan dasar hand sanitizer merupakan wujud pemanfaatan keanekaragaman hayati Indonesia dan sebagai dasar pengembangan produk hand sanitizer HANSEN dengan bahan dasar alami yang praktis, efisien, dan aman digunakan. Tujuan penelitian yakni untuk mengetahui pengaruh konsentrasi ekstrak daun kersen yang paling efektif dalam menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri penyebab diare (E. coli) serta mengetahui warna dan formula gel HANSEN yang paling disukai oleh masyarakat. Metode yang digunakan adalah ekstraksi daun kersen dan uji daya hambat bakteri dengan metode sumuran. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan HANSEN mampu menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri dengan penghambatan tertinggi pada formulasi gel dengan ekstrak daun kersen berkonsentrasi 40%. Zona bening yang dihasilkan memiiki rata-rata 6,16 mm, maka gel dikatakan memiliki daya hambat berkekuatan sedang. Formulasi ekstrak daun kersen berkonsentrasi 40% menghasilkan tekstur yang kental, warna dan aroma paling pekat, serta paling disukai masyarakat. Formulasi gel dengan konsentrasi ekstrak 40% merupakan formulasi terbaik. Inovasi ini diharapkan dapat diterapkan menjadi salah satu alternatif untuk mencuci tangan.

ABSTRACT

In Indonesia, diarrhea is the number two killer of children under five. The most common factor causing diarrhea is infection with Escherichia coli bacteria. Bacteria spread through various media, such as hands. How to prevent this can be done by washing hands which can reduce the number of bacteria on hands by up to 58%. Currently, there is an effective way of washing hands that kills bacteria, namely using a hand sanitizer. However, products on the market contain chemicals that are at risk of irritating the skin. This risk can be reduced by using natural ingredients that are safe to use, such as cherry leaf (Muntingia calabura L.) which has antiseptic properties. In addition, the use of cherry leaves as a basic ingredient for hand sanitizers is a form of utilizing Indonesia's biodiversity and as the basis for developing HANSEN hand sanitizer products with natural, practical, efficient, and safe ingredients. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of the concentration of cherry leaf extract which was the most effective in inhibiting the growth of bacteria causing diarrhea (E. coli) and to find out which color and formula of HANSEN gel were most preferred by the public. The method used was cherry leaf extraction and bacterial inhibition test using the well method. The results showed that HANSEN was able to inhibit the growth of bacteria with the highest inhibition in the gel formulation with a 40% concentration of cherry leaf extract. The resulting clear zone has an average of 6.16 mm, so the gel is said to have moderate strength of inhibition. The 40% concentration of cherry leaf extract formulation produces a thick texture, the most concentrated color and aroma, and is the most liked by the public. The gel formulation with an extract concentration of 40% was the best formulation. This innovation is expected to be applied as an alternative to washing hands.