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“Alugbati (Basella alba) extract as a grease remover”

Angeles, Yorelle G.

Cajurao, Ellaiza G.

Estardo, Rhian Lheir V.

Furuc, Carl Joseph R.

Manalo, Alessandra N.

Sotelo, Alexzandrew B.

San Jose National High School

July 7, 2023
 1

CHAPTER I

Introduction

Grease removing is one of the most difficult part of dishwashing. The thick grease

that settles on kitchen utensils used on a daily basis and comes from various dishes makes

cleaning difficult. Usage of chemically-based products that remove grease contributes to

greenhouse gasses from factories that manufacture them. By switching to a natural grease

remover that cuts the grease from dishes without the chemicals, people are not only

helping for the environment but also putting those in the household in contact with better

ingredients and less chemicals. Through this study, the researchers' aim is to determine

the use of plants that are abundant in the country such as Alugbati (Basella alba) as a

grease remover.
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Background of the Study

People in this day and age tend to use a variety of products without knowing what

they are made of. Dish soap is widely used in Filipino kitchens because it greatly aids in

the removal of grease and residual food from dishes. Choosing which type and brand of

dish soap to be used and also the price of each is a common issue in many households in

order to clean as many dishes and kitchen utensils as possible.

The researchers’ attempt is to make a grease remover made with Alugbati. The

researchers’ grease remover should be able to remove grease in kitchen utensils.

Alugbati (Basella alba) is a swift-growing, branching, smooth, twining

herbaceous vine that can grow to be several meters long. Its leaves are fleshy

heart-shaped, 5–12 cm long. The mucilaginous sap inside the stem are either green or

purple. In the Philippines, Alugbati is easily accessible to the public because it is present

in populated areas, hedges, former agricultural areas, etc. In the food, pharmaceutical, as

well as other sectors of research, mucilage can operate as a matrix and a thickening,

binding, emulsifying, or foaming agent.

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Statement of the Problem

The aim of this study is to determine Alugbati (Basella alba) extract as a grease

remover. It aims to answer the following questions:

1. How effective is Alugbati extract in removing grease?

2. How much volume of Alugbati in ml is needed to remove grease?

Volume of extract in ml Grease Type Type Of Plate

30 ml Plastic
Grease from dishes

Glass/Ceramic
 4

Hypothesis

Ha: If Alugbati (Basella alba) contains mucilage with emulsifying properties, then it will

be effective in removing grease from kitchenware.

Ho: If Alugbati (Basella alba) does not contain any grease-removing properties, then it

will not be effective in removing grease from kitchenwares.

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Significance of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Alugbati (Basella

alba) as a grease remover. The study could contribute to the understanding of the

chemical properties or components of Alugbati (Basella alba) that make it effective in

removing grease. The findings of the study could have practical implications in the

development of eco-friendly cleaning products, which could reduce the environmental

impact of cleaning and promote sustainable practices. This knowledge may be useful in

identifying other potential applications of Alugbati in different industries.

This study also aims to help the cited beneficiaries below:

Household members - to help people in getting rid of grease in kitchen wares and other

utensils without having to purchase expensive chemically-made dish soap.

 6

Environment - this study won't have any harmful effects on the environment; rather, it

will aid in reducing the problems with biodegradable trash in relation to many issues with

biodegradable waste.

Future researchers - This study can serve as a guide and a foundation for other studies

and research that they conduct.

Scope and Limitations

This study focuses on experimenting on Alugbati (Basella alba) to determine its

effectiveness as a grease remover. This study will examine the benefits and disadvantages

of Alugbati (Basella Alba) as a main ingredient for making an effective eco-friendly

greaser remover. To further explore the effectiveness of Basella alba, the researchers

conducted an experiment that's limited to only using the leaves of Alugbati and some

amount of water

By choosing eco-friendly cleaning agents such as alugbati, we can reduce our

environmental impact, protect human health, and save money in the process. Although

Alugbati may be an effective grease remover it may require more time and effort to

achieve the desired level of cleanliness compared to using commercial degreasers. This is

because alugbati's grease-removing properties may not be as strong as those of

commercial degreasers, especially for heavy-duty cleaning tasks.

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CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

Following a thorough and in-depth search, the researchers' review of related

literature and studies is presented in this chapter. The following relevant articles and

papers that the researchers gathered are included in this chapter.

Alugbati comes from a herbaceous vine with the scientific name Basella alba L.

And this comes from the Madeira-vine family, all of which possess relatively fleshy

leaves and tuberous rootstocks. For Alugbati specifically, the leaves are heart-shaped and

usually about 5 to 12 centimeters long. Alugbati is one of the widely consumed

vegetables in Asia, however it is relatively understudied for its benefits. It is known to

exhibit a wide range of biological functions and is traditionally recognized as a medical

plant with anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer potential.

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Starting with Alugbati (Basella alba)’s medicinal uses, its antibacterial activity.

On a study conducted by the researchers; M. Mani, S. Pavithraa, K. Mohanraj, S.

Kumaresan, Saqer S. Alotaibi, Mostafa M. Eraqi, Arumugam Dhanesh Gandhi,

Ranganathan Babujanarthanam, M. Maaza, and K. Kaviyarasu, in 2021 the researchers

stated “In this present investigation, an aqueous Basella alba leaves extract was used to

synthesize AgNPs. . . Green synthesized AgNPs possess well organized biological

activities concerning antioxidant and antibacterial, which can be used in some

biologically applications.”. The idea of Basella alba having antibacterial activities was

supported by another study conducted by the researchers; Vasavi Dathar and Pendyala

Pushpanjali in 2022. The conclusion of this study said that “Aqueous extract of Basella

alba leaves was found to have potential antibacterial activity against Gram positive

bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus species and Gram negative bacteria like

Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas Aeruginos.”. Another study that supports the

same idea said “The methanolic extract shows the significant growth inhibition on human

cancer cell lines and momentous zone of inhibition for microorganisms studied. The

overall result of this study indicates that the methanolic extract from B. alba have

interesting anticancer and antibacterial properties, and the traditional use of this plant

may also derive from its antibacterial and anticancer properties” (Rathee et al., 2010)

Cited by Honey Haridas in the year 2022 in a review from a Journal. Other than that,

there are more studies cited by Honey Haridas in the same review; the Anti-ulcer activity

of B. alba was studied by Venkatalakshmi and Senthamaraiselvi in 2012— “The effect of

Basella alba as an anti-ulcer agent has studied by Venkatalakshmi and Senthamaraiselvi

 9

(2012). They treated 7-8 weeks old female albino Wistar rats with aspirin suspended in

1% carboxymethyl cellulose at a dose of 150 mg/kg to induce the ulcer. The studies

resulted that, aspirin altered parameters like ulcer index, percentage of ulcer inhibition,

gastric pH, pepsiSODn content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, lipid hydro

peroxidases, , GPx, CAT, GSH, vitamin C, and vitamin E were restored by the treatment

of Basella alba leaf extract and indicated its anti ulcer activity.”, the CNS depressant

activity of B. alba “Petroleum ether, methanol and aqueous extracts of dried aerial parts

of B. alba were studied. CNS depressant activity of all the extracts of B. alba was

evaluated by pentobarbitone induced sleeping time test, open field test and hole cross test

in mice. Methanol extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) showed highly significant (p <

0.001) CNS depressant activity than other extracts tested. All the results were compared

with reference drug, diazepam (Anandarajagopal et al., 2011)”, Lastly, Basella alba’s

wound healing activity— a statement from the review says “Mohammed et al., (2012)

studied wound healing capacity of Basella alba, in male albino rats. They created burn

wounds on the back of rats and treated them with Basella alba leaf extract in glycerin for

about 20 days. Their results concluded that rats treated with aqueous leaf extracts showed

a maximum wound healing capacity with significant wound closure and indicated wound

healing capacity of Basella alba.” also cited by Honey Haridas (2022). Furthermore, in

another journal, the study of the researchers, Moumita Chowdhury, Pintu Kumar De,

and Himangshu Sekhar Maji claimed that “The mucilage have shown to possess various

pharmaceutical applications like binding agent, disintegrating agent, suspending agent,

matrix former, release retardant, gelling agent and encapsulating agent. Thus, mucilage
 10

extracted from the stem and leaves of B.alba have potential to be used as adjuvant in

pharmaceutical formulations.”.

Another useful application of Basella alba is in the food industry. According to

the conclusion of the study conducted by Po-Yuan, Hung and Lih-Shiuh, Lai (2019)

“Both the leaf and stem mucilage of Basella alba showed anionic feature, with about

4–12% of GalA. … On the contrary, no synergistic gelation occurred when adding

mucilage to tapioca starch solutions. Gelation was even suppressed when adding

mucilage to potato starch solutions. This discrepancy may be related to the differences in

the nature of different starches. These information would be useful for future application

of Basella alba mucilage in different food systems.”. Another study that supports the idea

of Basella alba’s use in the food industry is a study from a journal by T. A. Sanni, E. M.

Ogunbusola, O. O. Alabi, C. N. Jaiyeoba, K. O. Oni, H. O. Adubiaro and S. O.

Gbadamos (2019) the conclusion of these researchers states “The result of this

investigation revealed that isolates of suitable functional properties could be produced

from the leaves of Basella alba and Senecio biafrae and they can serve as a good source

of protein ingredient in food systems.”. The study of Pushpa Chethan Kumar, Harinder

Singh Oberoi & Shamina Azeez, in year 2021 concluded that “It is evident from this

review that Basella, an underutilized GLV can be considered as functional food or as an

important ingredient in the development of a functional food.” following that statement,

“In addition, information presented in this review has revealed that the concentration of

certain nutrients and antioxidant potential of underutilized Basella is higher than that of

the other known GLVs, such as spinach and Moringa. … Since, Basella is an efficient

source of several micronutrients and is also abundantly available, it is important that the
 11

bioactive compounds, especially carotenoids and polyphenols are extracted using simple,

safe, and low-cost extraction methods, encapsulated and added to the fruit bars, drinks,

ice creams, etc., as a functional ingredient to impart health benefits in a sustained

manner.”

Cleaning is also one of the useful ways Basella alba can be used. According to a

research study conducted by Barlaan D., Fuentes G.,. Singo, J., (2019), "The use of

Alugbati (Basella alba) leaf extract as a natural flocculant for water treatment has been

proven effective based on the final results of the overall process.". The study found that

the extract had a high percentage for removal in turbidity measurement and low pH level,

which indicated its potential as a natural alternative to synthetic flocculants. This could

have significant implications for water treatment processes, particularly in areas where

access to synthetic flocculants is limited. According to Lau, Gan, Ng, and Lee (2020),

“Basella alba mucilage (BAM) can be an effective plant-based flocculant for eliminating

turbidity from water.” Their study showed that the addition of BAM improved the

turbidity removal of both PAC and alum in the coagulation and flocculation process, with

a maximum enhancement of 7% and 18% observed when applied to To Lich river water.

The use of BAM also reduced the use of PAC and alum by 75-80%, which is positive for

the environment, since aluminum-based coagulants can cause environmental problems.

The authors suggest that BAM could be a promising natural flocculant to minimize health

and environmental problems and could also be a useful aid to farmers who grow Basella

alba (Lau et al., 2020).

 12

Survey Questionnaire

“Alugbati (Basella alba) as a Grease Remover”

All the data that will be collected in this study will be used to find out the
effectiveness of the researchers' grease remover made from Alugbati (Basella alba)
extract through the response of the Grade 10 students in San Jose National High School.
Any information you share for the development of this research will remain
confidential.

Name (optional):
________________________________________

I. Read each statement and answer the following.

1. Respondent’s profile:
A. Age
15 y/o
16 y/o
17 y/o
18 y/o
Other: _________
 13

Sex:
Male
Female

II. Questions
1. How effective is Alugbati extract as a grease remover? You may rate from 1 to 5.
5 being the highest and 1 as the lowest. (Below is the rubrics for rating).

Effectiveness:
5 - Extremely effective- The texture and visibility of the grease is completely
removed
4 - Very effective- - The texture and visibility of the grease is slightly removed

3 - Moderately Effective- The texture/visibility of the grease is slightly removed

2 - Slightly effective- The texture/visibility of the grease is removed
1 - Not effective- None of the texture and visibility of grease is removed

Question 5 4 3 2 1 Rating

How effective The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati
is Alugbati extract extract extract extract extract did
extract in terms completely significantly moderately slightly not remove
of removing eliminated improved the improved the improved the the slippery
the slippery the slippery slippery slippery slippery texture on
texture on texture on texture on texture on texture on the plates at
plates? the plates. the plates, the plates, the plates, all.
with only a but some but it was
small slippery still
amount of texture still noticeable.
slippery remained.
texture
remaining.

How effective The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati
is Alugbati extract extract extract extract did extract did
extract in terms completely significantly moderately not dissolve not dissolve
of removing dissolved or dissolved or dissolved or or remove or remove
thick grease? removed all removed removed the thick the thick
of the thick almost all of most of the grease on the grease on the
grease on the the thick thick grease plates at all. plates at all.
plates. grease on the on the plates,
 14

plates, with but some

only a small residue
amount of remained.
residue
remaining.

How effective is The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati
Alugbati extract extract extract extract extract extract did
in terms of completely significantly moderately slightly not remove
removing marks eliminated lightened lightened lightened any of the
of grease? all of the almost all of most of the some of the grease marks
grease marks the grease grease marks grease marks on the plates
on the plates. marks on the on the plates, on the plates, at all.
plates, with but some but the
only a small marks marks were
amount of remained. still
marks noticeable.
remaining.

How effective The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati The Alugbati
is Alugbati extract extract extract extract extract did
extract in terms completely significantly moderately slightly not remove
of removing eliminated reduced reduced reduced the any of the
grease odor the grease almost all of most of the grease odor grease odor
from the plates? odor on the the grease grease odor on the plates, from the
plates. odor on the on the plates, but the odor plates at all.
plates, with but some was still
only a small odor noticeable.
amount of remained.
odor
remaining.

2. How effective is the given volume of Alugbati extract in removing grease from
the two varieties of plate?
 15

Volume of extract Plate 5 4 3 2 1

Glass/Ceramic
30 ml
Plastic

References

Anh, N. T. L., Huong, P. L., Nam, H. X., & Loan, L. M. (2020). Turbidity removal by
mucilage from Basella Alba. Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology, 58(4),
505-513.

Barlaan, D. M. P., Fuentes, G. B. P., & Singo, J. M. T. (2019). Alugbati (Basella Alba)
Leaf Extract as a Natural Flocculant for Water Treatment. Davao City National High
School, F. Torres St. Davao City.

Chowdhury, M., De, P. K., & Maji, H. S. (2022). Exploration of Basella alba mucilage as
a novel adjuvant in Pharmaceutical Formulation. Research Journal of Pharmacy and
Technology, 15(6), 2609-2615.

Dathar, V., & Pushpanjali, P. (2022). Antibacterial activity of aqueous extract of Basella
alba leaves.

Dishwashing Survey. (n.d.). Dishwashing Survey. Retrieved March 29, 2023, from
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HSS9GMS
 16

Gumamela as Alternative Dishwashing Liquid – PDFCOFFEE.COM. (n.d.).

pdfcoffee.com. Retrieved March 29, 2023, from
https://pdfcoffee.com/gumamela-as-alternative-dishwashing-liquid-pdf-free.html

Haridas, H., Sadiyah, F., K.K., A.M., Mubashira, A., Ahmed, Z.N., & Babu, A.T.K.
(2022). Phytochemical and pharmacological review on Basella alba Linn. World Journal
of Pharmaceutical Research, 11(2), 472-477. ISSN 2277-7105.

Hung, P. Y., & Lai, L. S. (2019). Structural characterization and rheological properties of
the water extracted mucilage of Basella alba and the starch/aqueous mucilage blends.
Food Hydrocolloids, 93, 413-421.

Kumar, P. C., Oberoi, H. S., & Azeez, S. (2022). Basella-an underutilized green leafy
vegetable with a potential for functional food development. Food Reviews International,
38(sup1), 456-473.

Mani, M., Pavithra, S., Mohanraj, K., Kumaresan., S., Alotaibi, S. S., Eraqi., M. M.,
Gandhi, A. D., Babujanarthanam, R., Maaza, M., & Kaviyarasu, K. (2021). Studies on
the spectrometric analysis of metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using Basella alba
leaf for the antibacterial activities. Environmental Research, 199:111274-111274. doi:
10.1016/J.ENVRES.2021.111274

Merano, V. (2021). Alugbati (Malabar Spinach). Panlasang Pinoy.

https://panlasangpinoy.com/alugbati-malabar-spinach/

Q. (2021, January 15). Three Tips for Effectively Designing Rating Scales. Qualtrics.
Retrieved March 29, 2023, from
https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/three-tips-for-effectively-using-scale-point-questions/
 17

Sanni, T. A., Ogunbusola, E. M., Alabi, O. O., Jaiyeoba, C. N., Oni, K. O., Adubiaro, H.
O., & Gbadamosi, S. O. (2019). Evaluation of chemical and functional properties of
protein isolates from Basella alba and Senecio biafrae leaves. FUW Trends in Science &
Technology Journal, 4, 001-007.

Members Data Form

NAME: Angeles, Yorelle G.

Address: 363 Col. S Cruz St. San Rafael Rodriguez

Rizal

Contact number: 09694940395

Email address: yorelleangeles23@gmail.com

SCHOOL : SAN JOSE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

SCHOOL ADDRESS : Ipil St. San Jose Rodriguez Rizal

GRADE AND SECTION: 8-Philippines

PERSONAL DATA:

AGE: 14 y/o

BIRTHDAY: November 23, 2008

BIRTH PLACE: Marikina

CIVIL STATUS: Single

 18

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Junior High: San Jose National High School

Elementary: San Rafael Elementary School

NAME: Cajurao, Ellaiza G.

Address: 0554 A. G. Cruz St. Brgy. San Jose, Montalban,

Rizal

Contact number: 09187314134

Email address: ellaizacajurao12@gmail.com

SCHOOL : SAN JOSE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

SCHOOL ADDRESS : Ipil St. San Jose Rodriguez Rizal

GRADE AND SECTION: 8-Philippines

PERSONAL DATA:

AGE: 14 y/o

BIRTHDAY: December 27, 2008

BIRTH PLACE: San Jose, Montalban, Rizal

CIVIL STATUS: Single

 19

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Junior High: San Jose National High School

Elementary: San Jose Elementary School

NAME: Estardo, Rhian Lheir V.

Address: 144 P Cabal St. San Jose Montalban Rizal

Contact number: 09103852149

Email address: estardorhianlheir@gmail.com

SCHOOL ADDRESS : Ipil St. San Jose Rodriguez Rizal

GRADE AND SECTION: 8 -Philippines

PERSONAL DATA:

AGE: 14 y/o

BIRTHDAY: December 4,2008

BIRTH PLACE: San Jose, Montalban, Rizal

CIVIL STATUS: Single

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
 20

Junior High: San Jose National High School

Elementary:
San Jose Elementary
School

NAME: Furuc, Carl Joseph R.

Address: Blk 4, Lot 9 Summit view subdivision Rodriguez, Rizal

Contact number: 09472258877

Email address: Carljosephfuruc@gmail.com

SCHOOL ADDRESS : Ipil St. San Jose Rodriguez Rizal

GRADE AND SECTION:` 8-Philippines

PERSONAL DATA:

AGE: 14 y/o

BIRTHDAY: January 29, 2009

BIRTH PLACE: Manila

CIVIL STATUS: Single

 21

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Junior High: San Jose National High School

Elementary: Feu Roosevelt

NAME: Manalo, Alessandra Therese N.

Address: 412 G. Bautista St. San Jose Rodriguez, Rizal

Contact number: 09634306178

Email address: alessandratheresemanalo@gmail.com

SCHOOL ADDRESS : Ipil St. San Jose Rodriguez Rizal

GRADE AND SECTION: 8-Philippines

PERSONAL DATA:

AGE: 14

BIRTHDAY: January 5, 2009

BIRTH PLACE: Manila

CIVIL STATUS:Single

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
 22

Junior High: San Jose National High School

Elementary: San Jose Elementary School

NAME: Sotelo, Alexzandrew B.

Address: Blk 21 Lot 1 PH2 Dela Costa Homes V Rodriguez Rizal

Contact number: 09602090989

Email address: alexzandrewsotelo384@gmail.com

SCHOOL ADDRESS : Ipil St. San Jose Rodriguez Rizal

GRADE AND SECTION: 8-Philippines

PERSONAL DATA:

AGE: 14

BIRTHDAY: January 27, 2009

BIRTH PLACE: Triple J maternity clinic Balite

Rodriguez Rizal

CIVIL STATUS: Single

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Junior High: San Jose National High School

 23

Elementary: San Jose Elementary School