Development and Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity to Produce a Hand Sanitizing Gel with Essential Oils of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and Tangerine (Citrus maxima)

This study investigated the antimicrobial property of three plant species with the aim of incorporating them into the formulation of hand sanitizing gels. Essential oils were obtained from the peel or epicarp, bark and leaves by hydro distillation using the Clevenger method. The determination of the antimicrobial activity was carried out by the Kirby-Bauer method in which the inhibition diameters generated by the sensitivity discs containing three different types of essential oils at various concentrations against the bacteria Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. This study determined the potential of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Cinnamomum zeylanicum that generated a greater diameter of inhibition $25.47 \pm 0.21$ mm for E. Coli and $26.47 \pm 0.40$ mm for S. aureus, compared to the species Eucalyptus globulus and Citrus. maximum. Obtaining yields range between 0.8% and 1.6%, the highest yield being that of the Citrus maxima species. In the development of the hand sanitizing gel, formulations with a density of $0.8778 \pm 0.001\mathrm{g} /$ml were obtained with organoleptic characteristics typical of essential oils.