February , 2024 | Pharmacognosy Journal |
A study conducted by Hasanuddin University, Indonesia, explores the potential of using local plants, specifically the durian plant (Durio zibethinus), as natural disinfection agents to eliminate pathogenic bacteria in drinking water. The narrative review synthesizes findings from three online journal databases, covering the last ten years, to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of various parts of the durian plant.
The review identified 21 relevant studies from an initial pool of 5,693 journals. These studies demonstrated that extracts from durian fruit rind, seeds, and leaves possess significant antimicrobial activity. The active compounds found in durian, including phenolics, alkaloids, steroids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, and triterpenoids, were shown to inhibit or kill pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella boydii, and Salmonella Typhi.
Using diffusion and dilution methods, the studies consistently classified the antimicrobial potency of durian extracts in the strong category. These findings suggest that durian plant extracts could serve as a safe and economical alternative to current chemical disinfection methods in drinking water treatment, offering a promising solution for enhancing public health.