Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry
Vol 15, No 1 (2026)

Formulation and Antimicrobial Activity Evaluation of Liquid Soap Containing SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and Kombucha from Tea and Lemongrass

Meta Yuliana (UIN Raden Fatah)
Novin Teristiandi (UIN Raden Fatah)
Aisya Tria Fitriani (UIN Raden Fatah)
Robiatul Adawiyah (UIN Raden Fatah)
Sonia Sonia (UIN Raden Fatah)
Aulia Juniarti (UIN Raden Fatah)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Jun 2026

Abstract

Kombucha soap has the ability to inhibit pathogenic microbes. However, the production of soap, particularly kombucha liquid soap, has so far only utilized the kombucha broth. SCOBY, formed from the symbiosis of fungi and bacteria during kombucha fermentation, has potential health benefits, yet its application as an active ingredient in liquid soap has not been explored. This study aimed to formulate liquid soap containing SCOBY and kombucha as active ingredients and to evaluate its antibacterial and antifungal activities. Kombucha was prepared using two fermentation treatments: green tea fermentation (K1) and a combination of green tea with lemongrass decoction (K2). The resulting kombucha broth and SCOBY from each fermentation were used as active ingredients in liquid soap formulations with the following variations: 10% kombucha (K.K), 10% kombucha + 10% SCOBY (K.K+S), and 10% SCOBY (K.S). Each liquid soap was evaluated for its organoleptic properties, hedonic acceptance, antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and antifungal activity against Candida albicans.The results showed that the best treatment was the liquid soap containing 10% kombucha + 10% SCOBY from green tea fermentation (K1), which exhibited inhibition zones of 1.75 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, 7 mm against Escherichia coli, and 6 mm against Candida albicans. In contrast, the liquid soaps containing 10% kombucha from green tea fermentation (K1) and the combination of green tea and lemongrass fermentation (K2) showed no inhibitory effect against Candida albicans. These findings indicate that the addition of SCOBY as an active ingredient can enhance the antimicrobial properties of liquid soap, particularly in inhibiting pathogenic fungi.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

BIOMEDICH

Publisher

Subject

Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Medicine & Pharmacology Public Health

Description

BIOLOGY, MEDICINE, & NATURAL PRODUCT CHEMISTRY, this journal is published to attract and disseminate innovative and expert findings in the fields of plant, animal, and microorganism secondary metabolite, and also the effect of natural product on biological system as a reference source for ...