The application of seaweed Gracilaria verrucosa in Karawang, Indonesia, as an enrichment material for antibacterial soap production

Seaweed Gracilaria verrucosa is one of the potential marine natural resource commodities in Karawang Regency, Indonesia. Solid soap is one of the added value products that can be developed from seaweed since it has a potential antibacterial function for human skin. The solid soap with seaweed enrichment sale could increase the seaweed farmers and coastal community income. This study aims to produce solid soap with the addition of different seaweed G. verrucosa formulations and examine the sensory, physicochemical parameters, and antibacterial activity of the soap. This study applied five variants: solid soap with the addition of 0.025%, 0.050%, and 0.075% seaweed water extract (W250, W500, and W750), 0.075% seaweed ethanol extract (E750), and seaweed pulp (SWP). The variant W500 and SWP have the highest attributes according to the sensory (aroma, color, amount of foam, and power of detergency) and physicochemical (pH, foam stability, and unsaponifiable fat content) parameters, respectively. The variant SWP and W500 also have a strong antibacterial activity. From the results, the variant SWP and W500 can be the candidates for further product development.