Antibacterial Property of Synthetic Upper Leather Treated by Garlic and Ginger Peels Extracts

The garlic and ginger peels have been thrown as a waste. Nowadays researchers have been trying to investigate the antimicrobial properties of garlic and ginger peels extracts. Nevertheless, the effects of these materials on synthetic leather have not been experimented. The study aims at antimicrobial treatment of synthetic leather by the peels extracts and examining it against the staphylococcus epidermis bacterium. The peels have been collected in Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia, dried in the oven for one hour at 104°C, weighed and grounded in a grinder with a mesh size of 50-300 mesh. For both materials, 40 g of peel powder has been dissolved in 400 mL of ethanol solvent and stirred by a magnetic stirrer and then extracted by ultrasonic extraction method. Leather samples have been treated by extracted peels (5%, 15% and 20%) together with citric acid as a binder and soap as wetting agent. The antimicrobial properties of the treated samples have been assessed by a disc diffusion test method. The garlic peel extract at all concentrations levels has a wider inhibition zone indicating that garlic peel extract is more efficient at inhibiting Staphylococcus epidermis growth than ginger peel. Therefore; it could be used as antimicrobial treatment of synthetic leather.