The potassium ester (C
11H
23COO
-K
+) commonly known as African black soap was prepared by the
action of palm kernel oil on cocoa pods. This was divided into four portions. Sample A contained the African Black
soap without any modification, sample B was black soap modified with honey, sample C and sample D were modified
with shear butter and coconut oil respectively. The pH, FTIR and phytochemical analyses of the samples were carried
out. They were also screened for in-vitro antibacterial activities against two Gram-positive bacteria (
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Bacillus subtilis
) and two Gram-negative bacteria (
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Escherichia coli
). The pH
determinations showed that all the samples were alkaline in nature with sample A having the lowest pH of 8.90, while
sample B had the highest pH of 9.58. FTIR analyses of sample A revealed strong bands assigned to the υ (C=O)
frequency of a keto group at 1668 and 1560 cm
-1 and a strong band at 1379 cm
-1 assigned to the υ (C-O) frequency of
the ester oxygen. The spectra of samples B, C and D showed no complexation through these oxygen donor atoms, but
rather some interactions with other present molecules. Phytochemical analyses showed that samples A and D were rich
in saponin, all the samples were rich in both flavonoids and terpenoids, while tannins and steroids were absent in all
the samples. Antimicrobial studies showed that only sample B was active against
Staphylococcus aureus, while
samples A, C and D were inactive against all tested microorganisms.
