Formulation development of topical antibacterial lotion with theobroma cacao pod husk ash extract for treatment of shaving bumps

The aims of this study were to determine the emulsifying properties of Theobroma cacao pod husk ash (CPHA) methanolic extract combined with shea butter and explore the antibacterial activities and physicochemical characteristics of resulting emulsions toward the development of a topical antibacterial lotion formulation for shaving bumps treatment. The ash resulting from combustion of pod husks of freshly harvested ripe cocoa fruits was extracted with methanol and the extract evaporated to dryness. Shea butter was also extracted by traditional method from kernels from the shea tree. These natural-source materials were combined with pharmaceutical ingredients (buffer, viscosity enhancer, preservative) to develop fluid emulsion formulations. Stability characteristics (droplet size, viscosity, creaming, and pH) of the formulations were evaluated as well as their antibacterial activities against microorganisms isolated from after-shave bump swabs of adult male volunteers and against reference organisms; in order to select product(s) of best qualities suitable as shaving bumps medication. The prototype formulations exhibited suitable physicochemical properties and demonstrated inhibitory activities against several isolated shaving bump microbes and the reference organisms namely, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Two formulations were finally selected as having physicochemical and antibacterial qualities most suitable for shaving bumps therapy, which contained shea butter (20%), citrate buffer (5%), and parabens (0.3%), prepared using 5% CPHA extract solution with and without methyl cellulose (2%), respectively. The novel shea butter-incorporated emulsion-lotion formulations of CPHA extract provide a useful therapeutic option of topical medication for the treatment of shaving bumps in men.