Potential Use of Edible Fruits and Australian Native Plants

The objective of this project was to find out the antimicrobial activity of Australian native plants and fruits in view of their potential use in cosmetic formulations as natural preservatives. Ethanol and water extracts from selected plants and fruits were screened for activity against bacteria, yeast, and fungi that are found as common spoilage organisms in cosmetics. A selection of nine plants from the Myoporaceae, Santalaceae and Mimosaceae families and fruit pericarps of pomegranate and mangosteen were screened for their activity. The fruits and plants were chosen based on their reported medicinal properties. Even though many studies have examined the antimicrobial activities of extracts from native plants, not many studies have applied these extracts for use in cosmetic creams.