Tobacco liquid soap good for dog’s skin disease

A liquid soap made from flue-cured tobacco is effective in curing demodectic maze, a skin disease of dogs call "gudgud" in Iloko.

The formulation was prepared by Mia Prima A. Magno, a BS Biology graduate of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

It was part of her thesis titled "Medicinal Potential of Three Antimicrobial Preparations from Tobacco Leaf Extracts", which won the MMSU Best Undergraduate thesis for school year 2001-2002.

Magno’s study determined the effectiveness of tobacco liquid soap, tobacco-based ointment, and tobacco powder liniment in inhibiting the growth of Bacillus subtilis and Staphylecocus aureus, two micro organisms that cause demodectic maze; and in curing dogs infected with the disease.

Magno prepared 10 formulations each from flue-cured and burley tobacco leaf extracts. First, she tested these formulations on the micro-organism of demodectic maze, which were streaked on the surface of nutrient agar. She compared these preparations with commercial antibacterial soap for animals on five live dogs suffering from the skin disease.

Results showed that tobacco liquid soap and tobacco ointment were effective in controlling the growth of the bacteria in petri dishes. In general, growth inhibition of the bacteria increased in petri dishes. In general, growth inhibition of the bacteria increased with ethanolic tobacco leaf extract concentration and powder ratio, regardless of product preparation.

On live animals, the flue-cured tobacco liquid soap prepared by Magno was as effective as the commercial antibacterial soap in curing demodectic maze. – Rudy A Fernandez