Potency of Ficus callosa willd against bacterial contaminants

in water
Anjelyn Abayon, Cherry Joy Augis, Letecia Buctot, Ma. Angelica Capilitan, Jecel
De Guzman, Frenzy Regina, Roxanne Udtohan

ABSTRACT
Skin diseases associated with water contaminants pose a major problem among people. However,

eliminating pathogenic microorganisms found in water is costly and a microorganism like bacteria have

already has high resistance to antibiotics. Seeing that problem, the researchers come up to an idea of

using some tropical plant like Ficus callosa willd to test its potency against bacteria found in water. In this

study, water sample from shower room was gathered in order to be cultured using agar diffusion method.

Furthermore, the extract of F. callosa willd was added to one set-up, while the other set-up remained

neutral and was incubated for three days at about 48°C. After the third day, it was viewed that the set-up

contains lesser bacterial colonies than those did not have. This only means that the extract of F. callosa

willd has the potency against bacteria found from the water contaminants in the shower room. Thus F.

callosa willd extract can be the solution in eliminating or lessening the problem of skin diseases

associated with water contaminants.

Keywords: Ficus callosa willd extract; bacterial colonies; water sample; agar diffusion method
Paavilainen (2011) all genus of Ficus has the anti-
bacterial properties and anti-inflammatory property.
INTRODUCTION This study aims to test the chemical property
Various plants are commonly used in making of F. callosa willd and its potency to eliminate the
medicines for curing various types of diseases around Bacteria found in the water from the shower room.
the world. Skin diseases occur when our body comes Furthermore, the objective of the study is to find out if
in contact with contaminated water. However, there the extract or juice of F. callosa willd has the potency
are still species that belongs to Kingdom Plantae that in eliminating or stopping the growth microorganisms
their potency of killing or eliminating microorganisms like bacteria found in the shower room waters. In
is not yet discovered. In line with it, Ficus callosa willd other words, this study test the efficacy of F. callosa
is the scientific name for the first native in South China willd extract in stopping the growth of bacteria. Finally
to tropical Asia and it is known as taluot in Visayaan this study utilizes the agar disc diffusion technique in
regions in the Philippines. It has the potential of killing order to test the potencial of the taluot (Ficus callosa
microorganisms. In connection, skin diseases from willd) in eliminating the presence of different bacteria
shower room in the Sisters of Mary School-Girlstown such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, and
community are a problem. Thus, the researchers want many other pathogens found in a shower room waters
to identify whether this F. callosa willd species has that can cause skin problems in human body.
the ability of killing bacteria found in shower room.
In a study of Jones, Diewald, Georgeadis,
&Cisar (2014) it was identified that the pathogenic MATERIALS AND METHODS
bacteria found in the shower room waters are E-coli,
Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, A. Gathering of taluot (Ficus callosa willd)
Camphylobacter & Salmonella and most of them
cause’s skin problems that is one of the major The researchers went outside the
problem that is in the Sisters of Mary School-Girlstown campus and gathered the fruit of F. callosa willd in a
community. So, to eliminate them F. callosa willd is nearby tree beside an apartment. The researchers
viewed as the solution for according to Lansky and gathered it with an aid of a PVC pipe by smashing the
trees’ branches so that the fruit will fall on the ground. 8. Insert a thermometer in the box
Afterwards, the researchers gathered the fresh fruits for temperature regulation.
that fell down.
B. Collecting water sample E. Making agar disc
The researchers collected the water
sample in a shower room specifically on 1. Prepare materials needed for
the area where water are stocked. The making the agar.
researchers collected the water using a
sterilized container to avoid 2. Set the flame using the Bunsen
contamination. burner and put it under the tripod.

C. Materials 3. Mix 18.5g of gelatin powder to

250ml of buko juice in a beaker.
Autoclave
Incandescent lamp 4. Put the beaker with the mixture
2 beakers (500 ml) on the tripod and stir it
Cable continuously until it is already
2 petri dishes cooked.
Cutter
Stirring rod 5. Pour the agar on the sterilized
Knife petri dishes and let it be cooled
Wire loop down.
Glue gun w/ glue stick
Tripod 6. Cover the petri dishes and wrap
Styrofoam (1/2 inch thick) it with a plastic wrap to avoid
Bunsen burner leakage.
F. callosa willd fruit
Buko juice (500 ml) 7. 7. After cooling down and
Dropper wrapping it up put it on the
Powdered gelatin (1 pack) autoclave for about 3 hours.
500 ml Distilled water
Electronic Microscope F. Making the Extract
Plastic wrap
Thermometer 1. Put 200ml of distilled water on a
D. Making of Incubator sterilized beaker.

1. Prepare materials needed for the 2. Set the flame using Bunsen
improvised incubator. burner and put it below the tripod.

2. Cut the Styrofoam into 6 pieces ( 3. Pound 6 pieces of F. callosa willd

rectangular in shape ) fruit and pour the pounded
content in the beaker.
3. Glue up the 6 pieces of
Styrofoam with a glue gun to form 4. Put the beaker on the tripod and
a box. let be boiled.

4. Cut a hole on the top of the box. 5. Pour the extract on a sterilized
container.
5. Insert the incandescent bulb on
the hole and glue it up. G. Streaking the water sample

6. Cut another part of the side if the 1. Remove the petri dishes from
box in square shape for an the autoclave after 3 hours.
opening.
2. Unwrap the petri dishes and
7. Check the functionality of the sprinkle the table with an ethyl
incubator by plugging the cable of alcohol to avoid contamination.
the incandescent bulb.
 3. Label the petri dishes with set-up solution .After the incubation processes, it was
A and B. observed that there were lesser bacterial growth set-
up A for there was wider zone of inhibition which
4. Set the flame with Bunsen burner means Ficus callosa willd has the potency against
and heat up the tip of the wire bacteria. This picture below is taken after the three
loop. days incubation where there was an evident of
bacteria seen in a set-up with no solution:
5. Dip the tip of the wire loop after
cooling it down for seconds to the SET-UP A SET-UP B
water sample.

6. Streak both petri dishes with

water sample using quadrant
method.

7. With the dropper, put 16 drops of

F. callosa willd extract on the set- Figure 2.Growth of bacterial colonies on the agar
up A. discs

8. Wrap the petri dishes and

incubate it for 3 days with a CONCLUSION
monitored temperature for about The potential of Ficus callosa willd to eliminate
37°C-48°C microorganisms specifically bacteria that can cause
skin diseases was truly proven by the experiment
H. Observation conducted through the use of agar disc diffusion .In
The researchers observed the changes this experiment , it was found out that set-up A with
of the set-ups after 3 days to make the the extract of F. callosa willd has lesser growth of
results of the experiment. bacteria compared to set-up B without the extract.
This was observed using electronic microscope.
Thus, the extract of F. calosa willd has this potential to
kill microorganisms causing skin diseases. The
application of the F. callosa willd extract in eliminating
microorganism that causes skin disease will be a
great help for our future generation.

RECOMMENDATION

Figure 1.Autoclaving and streaking the water sample

For the future researchers who wanted to
pursue the same study, it is recommended that they
will use add another set-ups with different amount
of taluot (Ficus callosa willd) in every petri dishes to
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
know the exact amount of the extract that will be used
to efficiently inhibit the growth of the bacteria.
In this study, the extract of Ficus callosa willd
Furthermore, the researchers recommend that the
was used to test its potency against microorganisms
future researchers will use the pure extract of F.
found in water sample taken from the shower room
callosa willd without any mixture of distilled water and
such as Escherichia Coli, Staphylococcus aureus ,
etc to ensure that the only factor that can inhibit the
Phylobacter and Salmonella. An agar disc diffusion
growth of the bacteria is the extract of taluot (F.
method was used to test the antibiotic sensitivity of
callosa willd). With the help of this initial study the
bacteria .There were two set-ups prepared for the
researchers encouraged the future researchers to
culturing of the bacteria : the experimented (set-up A)
proceed to a higher study and come up with a final
contained the extract of the Ficus callosa willd and the
product that will be used by the people.
controlled (set-up B) which did not contained the