INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) is best known as food condiment that gives spice to dishes especially to Filipino cuisines. It is branched and half-woody plant, growing to a height of 0.8 to 1.5 meters. Its leaves are oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3 to 10 centimeters long, and pointed at the tip. The flowers are solitary or several in each axil, stalked, pale green or yellowish-green, and 8 to 9 millimeters in diameter. The fruit is commonly red when ripe, oblong-lanceolate, 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long. (Teach, 2014)
Aside from its usage as food condiment and seasoning, it is also widely used in traditional herbal medicine to alleviate pain and inflammation due to arthritis, gout and fibromyalgia. Thus, it is also proven to be effective in relieving heavy menstrual bleeding, pain and inflammation. It can increase blood flow and accredited to be beneficial in toothache, diabetes, sore throat, fever and typhus (medicalhealthguide, 2016). Besides, according to Stuart (2014) it also possessed antibacterial, antifungal and antibiotic properties that gives an opportunity to the researchers to produce an antiseptic spray out of siling labuyo fruit.
Though there are already studies that have proven the antibacterial, antifungal and antibiotic properties of siling labuyo, what made this study different and new is that there’s a produced antiseptic spray out of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) fruits. It is mainly testing the decocted siling labuyo fruits if effective as antiseptic spray for abrasion in albino rats. Accordingly, there’s no antiseptic spray that are made yet out of siling labuyo fruits.
The term antiseptic varies from antibacterial, antifungal and antibiotic. Antiseptics are mainly used to deter bacterial growth. In general, it is use to clean the skin before an injection (like during a blood test) and can be used to clean wounds. An antibacterial is an antibiotic, but as the name implies, it can only target bacteria. And so with antifungal, it can only target fungi. Antibiotics, on the other hand, can kill or keep pathogens from growing. Normally, antiseptics weaken and slow the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms, which in turn helps to prevent the bacteria from causing further infection. Antibiotics, are responsible for killing bacteria as well as some types of fungi and parasites. Antiseptics are best for helping clean the skin. Although it can kill bacteria, it frequently used to help slow its growth instead. It is good for cleaning small cuts, preparing for an injection, and swabbing the skin before removing a splinter. However, it will not help with pain, itching, existing infections, or burns. Antibiotic is more complex in which it is usually taken orally. (Tilton, 2017)
Nowadays, medicines and other products that heal and prevent skin illnesses are pricey. It could really be costly especially for those who can’t afford it. But though these products are expensive, people still tend or forced by themselves to buy some as to promote health. One objective of this research study is to produce an antiseptic spray out of siling labuyo fruits to provide people an affordable and attainable antiseptic spray that could prevent wound from infections.
The researchers ventured this kind of research amongst other researches because of the accessibility of C. frutescens in the locale. This plant can grow in most soil especially in tropical country like Philippines. It could even sprout in pots. Thus, researchers have had the desire to discover something new that is beneficial to the community and a desire to have a clearer and deeper understanding of this certain subject. Also, there’s not yet an antiseptic spray made of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) fruits.
With the creation of this product, many people would be benefited especially those who have wounds. It would also be helpful to the farmers more specifically to those who are fostering siling labuyo as this research gives more flexibility to this plant. Along with these people, the future researchers could also make use of this study as a future reference.
B. Objectives
Generally, the objective of this research study is to test the efficacy of fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) as antiseptic by using albino rats as test subjects. More specifically, it is focused on the following area:
1. To determine the concentration of the decocted fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) in the aqueous solution that best heal the wounds of albino rats with respect to its healing period;
2. To know if there’s a significant difference upon using five different treatments.
3. To compare the produced antiseptic solutions to one of the commercialized antiseptic solution (betadine).
C. Statement of the Problem
This study aims to produce an effective antiseptic spray with the use of decocted siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) fruits for abrasion in albino rats.
The researchers were guided by the following questions:
1. How to make an antiseptic spray out of siling labuyo fruits?
2. What is the concentration of decocted fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) and water that best heal the abrasions of albino rats?
3. What is/are the significant difference of using antiseptic spray out of decocted fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) than using commercial antiseptic solution?
D. Hypothesis of the Problem
· Alternative Hypothesis:
o The decocted fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) is effective as antiseptic spray for abrasion in albino rats.
· Null Hypothesis
o The decocted fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) is not effective as antiseptic spray for abrasion in albino rats.
E. Scope and Delimitations
The main purpose of this study is to produce an alternative antiseptic spray out of decocted fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) and to test its effectiveness on wounds specifically in abrasion type of wound by using non-human subjects or vertebrate animals such as albino rats. It is albino rats that were chosen because it is the most common required specie in conducting scientific and experimental researches and for the study to cause no harm to a person. The study only used 15 male albino rats in conducting the experiment weighing 150-200 grams and aging 4-5 months. The study encompassed 5 treatments, 3 replicates in each treatment. The treatment 1 is the distilled water applied to the control group, treatment 2 is the betadine, treatment 3 is the 15% concentration of siling labuyo fruits, treatment 4 is the 20 % concentration of siling labuyo fruits and treatment 5 is the 25% concentration of siling labuyo fruits. Determining the concentration of fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) and water that best heal the wounds (abrasion) of albino rats, with respect to time or healing period, was included in this study. The researchers had chosen one commercialized antiseptic solution which is betadine (Povidone Iodine) with 10% solution to compare the produced alternative antiseptic spray to see if there is or there are significant difference/s. Upon making the antiseptic spray, the proponents used the school facilities (Masbate National Comprehensive High School Annex Campus, Room 30) with the approbation of Mr. Kenneth Lim. The experimentation on the other hand was done in the office of the city veterinarian. This study started from August, 2017 and ended on October, 2017.
F. Significance of the Study
The outcome of this study will be beneficial to the following groups of people:
To the people in the rural areas
People who can’t afford to buy commercial antiseptic product could make use of siling labuyo plants to make themselves an antiseptic. More especially to those places where the accessibility of commercial antiseptic products are less.
To the entrepreneurs
The entrepreneurs could run a business using the produced product and could commercialize it and make it more creative and improved for the last consumer and for the community as well.
To the future researchers
This study is focused on the effectiveness of the decocted fruits of siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens) as antiseptic spray for abrasion in albino rats. Future researchers with related topics can use this study as a source of information. This study could also be a source of knowledge in making research titles.
P.S Next Chapter will be published as another article.
