Antibacterial activities of different brands of antiseptic soaps on <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> isolated from wound infections

Abstract

Generally speaking, antiseptic soaps are cleaning soaps to which antimicrobial active ingredients have been added. These chemicals kill bacteria and other microorganisms, though they are not effective at deactivating viruses, just like any other beauty soap. The antibacterial activity of some selected antiseptic soaps namely Dettol^®, Crusader^® and Dudu-Osun^® was determined on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from wound infections. Identification of the isolates from wound swab was done by standard microbiological method. Different concentrations (25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml and 200 mg/ml) of each soap were tested by disc diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the diameters of zone of inhibition were recorded. Dudu-Osun^® was found to be the most effective soap against all the bacterial strains tested, having the highest zone of inhibition of 25 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 19 mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the highest dilution of 200 mg/ml used. This was followed by Crusader^® with the zone of inhibition of 20 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 17 mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa also at dilution of 200 mg/ml. Dettol^® exhibited the least antimicrobial activity with zone of inhibitions of 16 mm and 14 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively. The results of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) showed that Dudu-Osun^® had MICs of 25 mg/ml and 50 mg/ml on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively, and their MBCs were 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml respectively. Crusader^® was found to have MICs of 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively with an MBCs of 100 mg/ml for both bacterial test isolates. Dettol^® also had MICs of 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively, with MBCs of 100 mg/ml and 200 mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively. These soaps exhibited bactericidal effect especially at high concentration, hence, the need to use them at high concentrations for effective action.