The Feasibility of Guava Leaves (Psidium guajava) as Material for Making Wound Gauzes

Authors

  • Angel Mae A. Ramirez
  • Paul Aldrin B. Legarte
  • Rachel Joyce J. Aguas

Keywords:

guava, gauze, first-aid, antiseptic, wounds

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

People all over the world get scabbed in the most unexpected instances of their lives. These wounds can cause infections that can harm them so they need to be treated. One of the methods of doing so is by patching up wounds with medical aids such as gauzes, bandages, and the like. Typically, these medical aids do not come with disinfectants which prevent infections; their only purpose is limited to covering and protecting wounds. Gauze can be paired with antiseptics and medications but using separate products can cause problems and be a hassle to the consumer. This is the reason why the researchers came up with the idea of making gauze out of guava leaves.

 

METHODS

To create a wound gauze, the guava leaves were boiled with washing soda for several hours. Afterwards, the leaves were soaked in bleach-water solution and the soft tissues were removed. Lastly, the gauze was treated by pure guava leaf extract then air-dried. The pH of the gauze with water was examined using pH meter. Next, the odor of the guava gaze was observed by survey. The durability of the product was quantitatively expressed through computation of net force applied. Also, the lasting life was also assessed by survey for five days. All respondents used were randomly selected. Moreover, t-test was used to compare the pH, odor and net force.

 

RESULTS

After testing the guava gauze's properties, it was found that it can withstand a net force of 0.78 N before being torn apart while the existing one exceeds 1 N. The product can last in 5 days based on the test conducted different the commercial product that can be stored for years. Furthermore, the guava gauze was also shown to be slightly basic which is the same as the widely-used gauze. Lastly, the odor of the product was observed to nearly pleasant similar to the commercial one.

 

DISCUSSIONS

Based on the tests, in terms of odor and ability to heal wounds, the product is shown to have no significant difference with the commercial product. The researchers also discovered that the commercial product has significant difference with the guava gauze in terms of durability, shelf life and pH level. The results verified that the guava leaves gauze is comparable and may be a substitute to the commercial product. With regards to the study, the researchers suggest further research for strengthening the product, and other ways of removing the soft tissues of the leaves instead of using bleach alone.

Published

2019-01-18