Effectiveness /Efficacy Degree of Locally Made Hand Sanitizer against Gram-Negative Bacteria (GNB) using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS) Spectroscopic Signatures

Abstract

Hand hygiene, particularly hand sanitizing, is essential in reducing infectious disease transmission. The recent outbreak of different diseases such as Ebola and corona virus in Nigeria and other countries around the world both increased public awareness of the practice of hand sanitizing and resulted in the introduction of new products to the market. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of antibacterial effectiveness and efficacy of ten locally made hand sanitizers sold in Akungba Akoko area using agar well diffusion and dilution methods. This study was carried out from April to July, 2022. In this study, 10 alcohol-based hand sanitizers were purchased from the main stores in Akungba Akoko. Among them, 8 liquid based hand sanitizers and among 3gel based hand sanitizers. Efficacy of hand sanitizers were evaluated against some Gram negative bacterial isolates including; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, Haemophilia alvei, Serratia odorifera, Proteus sp, Escherichia coli, Salmonella multocida, Salmonella multocida, Klebsiella ornithinolytica and Klebsiella ornithinolytica by agar well diffusion method. Results in this study showed higher inhibitory activity of 70% of the products to the test isolates. In general however, the sanitizers showed good activities, with inhibition of bacteria noted at concentrations as low as 25%. Products tested in this study showed higher zones of inhibition than previously reported, indicating their overall effectiveness. The variations in diffusion and dilution results highlight the effect of texture of the sanitizing product on testing methods and point at a need to properly assess if this could perhaps have any effect in real time on inhibitory activities. The hand sanitizing products tested in this study are suitable in disease prevention. However, regulatory bodies may need to focus on product texture until the effect of this on activity is determined.