Julius Balingbing 12-STEM H

Writing Activity

Direction: Answer the question based on the sample introduction.

• How did the researcher start his introduction? Can you consider the first

paragraph a strong opening of the research paper?

- He starts his intro by highlighting how the educational system in the philippines

is incredibly unstable and contantly changes in almost all aspects before studying

how the country is still ready to offer best education in despite of the issues.

• Does the researcher point out why his research matters in the context of Human

Resource Management?

Yes, in the 12th paragraph of his introduction he explained the role, the purpose,

and the effect of human resource management.

• What did the researcher include in the introduction of his research paper?

-He includes the employers and employees of public and private educational

institutions and their issues and solutions. He also mentioned the responsibility of

human resource management. And lastly, the findings of other studies that are

relevant to his work.

• Why is an introduction vital to a research paper?

It presents the background to your study. The background section should discuss

your findings in a chronological manner to accertuate the progress in the field

and the missing points that need to be addressed. It introduces your topic and

objectives. It should begin by providing your reader a general understanding of

the overall topic. It gives an overview of the paper. It should give a section-by-

section overview of your paper. A good introduction will provide a solid foundation
 and encourage readers to continue on to the main parts of your paper: the

methods, results, and discussion.

• Write your own research introduction based on the approved title done in your ¼

sheet of paper. Make sure to follow the correct format based on the above

example. Target atleast 500-1000 words in your introduction. Choose only 1 title

if the 3 titles were approved.

Making Soap from Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta) Leaf Oil

- According to Verbeek (2012), soap is the oldest manmade surfactant utilized as a

consumer product. The Sumerians had already produced soap in 2500 B.C. to wash

their woolen clothing, as recorded on uncovered clay tablets. Even until today, soap

remains an essential material used across the world for its applications in cleaning. The

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) defines soap in their

Compendium of Chemical Terminology as “a salt of a fatty acid, saturated or

unsaturated, containing at least eight carbon atoms or a mixture of such salts” (1997).

Konkol and Rasmussen (2015) state that to produce soap, a triglyceride (found in fats)

must be combined with an alkali salt, resulting in a reaction known as saponification.

The principle in making soaps is that fats and oils are saponified by an aqueous alkali;

and while it is possible to use different fats and oils, the alkali used is typically sodium

hydroxide or lye (Konkol & Rasmussen, 2015; Mabrouk, 2005). When soapmakers

combine their ingredients with lye during the actual soapmaking, it is known as “cold

process”. However, lye is corrosive and can be dangerous to handle due to being an

alkaline chemical. Because of this, soapmakers can also buy premade soap bases,

which are blocks of ingredients that have already gone through saponification. These

soap bases are then melted, and oils are poured and mixed to give a different fragrance

and color. The resulting mixture is then cooled and hardened before being used. This

process is known as “melt-and-pour”.

Under Presidential Decree No. 856 (P.D. 856) or the Code of Sanitation in the

Philippines, the public health of the people must be protected and promoted through the

observance of proper sanitation. In accordance with that goal, the usage of soap

becomes integral in maintaining overall wellbeing and sanitary conditions of objects,

people, and areas. As previously mentioned, there are different procedures in making

soap wherein different materials can be used. However, by employing other methods in

creating soaps, it is possible to innovate and discover new and possibly improved ways

of meeting P.D. 856. One such method is by creating soaps from plants, sources that
are naturally appearing in our environment.

There are plants that can be used as an alternative for soap without any chemical

processing due to naturally occurring substances called saponins. Saponins are

commonly used as natural detergents, but it is also used in the production of steroid

hormones in the pharmaceutical industry, as food additives, fire extinguishers and in

other industrial applications (Kregiel, et. al., 2017). Saponin-rich plants release lather

when agitated with water, which can be used to gently cleanse skin, hair, and even

delicate fabrics.

One well-known saponin rich plant is soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), also known as

soapweed or bouncing bet. Soapworts are overall high in saponin; however, it is more

concentrated in the roots of the plant. Its roots give off sap that can be used to create a

natural soap when combined with water, which is useful in cleaning delicate fabrics like

wool and fleece and can be used to treat skin conditions like rashes, acne, and eczema

(Levy, 2018). When boiled, the leaves, roots, and stem of the soapwort plant can be

created into a substance that can remove grease and residue.

While soapwort is a proven and used natural soap, the researchers have identified

another plant with the potential to serve the same purpose: Duranta erecta or golden

dewdrop. Duranta erecta belongs to the Verbenaceae family. Its genus is derived in
honor of an Italian botanist, Castore Durante. (Andreu et al., 2022). The genus Duranta

comprises 17 to 34 species. The species “erecta” means “upright” in Latin. The plant is

native from Mexico to South America and widely cultivated worldwide. The common

names of D. erecta comprise pigeon berry, sky blossom, golden dewdrop, dueantai, and

angel whisper (Jiraungkoorskul & Subsongsang, 2016).

It is an upright, scrambling shrub that grows 1 to 3 meters high. It has a light brown,

slightly ruffled bark. Each of its thin, hairless, yellow-green leaves has a thorn on the

underside of the stem. There are also several stems with drooping spiky branches for
the plant to carry its fruits. The leaves of the golden dewdrop are ovate to obovate,

which are oppositely arranged and have serrated margins at a length of 1 to 3 inches.

The tubular flowers of this plant emerge in the spring and range in color from purple and

white to violet or blue. The golden dewdrop has spherical, bright yellow fruits with a

diameter of approximately a half-inch that hang in long clusters (Andreu et al., 2022).

The fruit is poisonous to humans. According to Children’s Health Queensland Hospital

and Health Service (2017), if consumed, the fruit may irritate the stomach and intestines

and result in vomiting and diarrhea.

Butle et al. (2020) conducted a study about the medicinal capabilities of golden

dewdrop. The findings showed that the plant is a valuable medicinal plant used to treat

various diseases and is reported to have antimalarial, cytotoxic, antioxidant, antifungal,

and antibacterial activities. Its phytochemical substances have been reported to contain

saponins, steroids, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, and triterpenes

(Jiraungkoorskul & Subsongsang, 2016). The presence of these secondary metabolites

contributes to the plant's therapeutic properties. Further research was also conducted

on the leaves of the plant. Agomuo, et. al. discovered in 2017 that the leaf oil, which

was obtained from grounding 100 grams of golden dewdrop leaves, was composed of

14.21% saponins (14.21 micrograms per milliliter).

To start preparing the liquid soap, 100 and 150 grams of golden dewdrop leaves will be

collected and placed inside separate containers. To remove dust and dirt, the leaves will

be washed. They will then be chopped into small pieces and mashed with a mortar and

pestle. For decoction, the leaves will be placed in a large pot. Inside, distilled water

should be poured. They will be heated on high heat until boiling point is reached, then

reduced to medium. The boiling will continue for 20 more minutes. The leaves will be

allowed to cool after boiling. After cooling, the leaves will be strained and separated

from the liquid using a cheesecloth. The substance will then be refrigerated overnight to
cool. This procedure will be done for both batches of leaves (100g and 150g

respectively.)

The goal of this study is to examine the formulations made from golden dewdrop leaf oil

and determine if soap can successfully be made out of 100 grams and/or 150 grams of

golden dewdrop leaves. The researchers will look at the quantity and quality of the

lather and also test the formulations by using them to wash cotton towels and then

observing the results. Soap-making can be a rewarding experience that also allows for

experimentation with various types of soap. This kind of soap has not yet reached the

market, but through the study, the researchers aimed to produce a soap that is different

from other soap products.