Main ingredients in herbal formulation may act as preservative agent

Nowadays, the use of chemical preservatives has been limited due to the controversial adverse effects. In this study, we evaluated the preservative potency of product with active herbal ingredients (Barij Baby cream) in contrast with the same products with two different chemical preservatives including methylparaben plus propylparaben and potassium sorbate plus sodium benzoate. The efficacy of herbal formulation against pathogens (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, A. niger, S. aureus) was evaluated by antimicrobial effectiveness test during 28 days. 2 log reductions in bacterial counts at 14 days from the initial count, and no growth in bacterial and fungal (molds and yeasts) counts at 28 days from the 14 days is essential for accepting the antimicrobial effectiveness of category 2 products in United States Pharmcopia (USP). Our results of antimicrobial effectiveness test showed that the active herbal ingredients in Barij Baby cream passed the USP criteria as chemical preservatives in the same product. Therefore, in designing new herbal products, it is essential to evaluate the antimicrobial effectiveness of products before supplemented the product with chemical preservatives.