International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS)

Vol. 12, No. 3, September 2023, pp. 1171~1180

ISSN: 2252-8806, DOI: 10.11591/ijphs.v12i3.22131  1171

Eco-enzyme as disinfectant: a systematic literature review

Cindy Vidalia, Emily Angelina, Joenni Hans, Lin Hill Field, Nathania Caroline Santo,
Elisabeth Rukmini
Food Technology Department, Faculty of Engineering, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history: COVID-19 increases the awareness of cleanliness and sanitation in society.
Trends in launching sanitizer and disinfectant products have risen significantly
Received Jun 3, 2022 to meet customer demand. However, the existing commercial sanitizer products
Revised Apr 30, 2023 are mostly chemical-based and may cause adverse effects. Therefore, eco-
Accepted May 29, 2023 enzyme is a perfect bio-waste utilization for nonchemical-based sanitization
products. The authors investigated eco-enzymes' effectiveness in an aerosol
spray from fruit waste for a pleasant natural disinfectant. This review aimed to
Keywords: compile results from previous studies on fruit waste by systematically reviewing
empirical studies on household waste practices to develop an eco-enzyme
Aerosol spray following the PRISMA guidelines. A digital search in five databases from
Disinfectant Google Scholar, PubMed, Garuda, Sinta, and Open Alex resulted in 24 relevant
Eco-enzyme journals, considering keywords such as eco-enzyme, disinfectant, and organic
Organic waste waste. The mapping results show that eco-enzyme is feasible and economical
Sanitizer for disinfecting and sanitizing surfaces due to its antimicrobial activity. The
presence of acetic acids and enzymes (i.e., lipases and amylases) can inhibit
specific strains of microorganisms, namely Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.

Corresponding Author:
Elisabeth Rukmini
Food Technology Department, Faculty of Engineering, Bina Nusantara University
Jakarta, 11480, Indonesia
E-mail: elisabeth.rukmini@binus.ac.id

1. INTRODUCTION
Until now, waste has been becoming a public concern. Waste means the useless, unwanted, and
discarded material or product. Despite being unwanted material, it still can be utilized when humans reuse and
recycle it for another product, such as eco-enzyme [1]. Nevertheless, according to the Waste4Change [2], the
waste accumulation in Indonesia within 2021 was 24 million tons and dominated by household waste (41.1%).
The elevated waste accumulation pushes the application of waste management practices to reduce the negative
impact on society [3].
Many works of literature have tried to develop ideas to reduce household food waste. Either by
composting it and turning the waste into soil fertilizer full of good organic matter [4], processing it into animal
feed [5], or utilizing it as biofuel to replace fossil fuel [6]. However, because those solutions still require energy
and resources, recent studies started leaning towards an easier, environmentally friendly, and zero-waste
approach in turning the waste into eco-enzyme. Eco-enzyme is easy to produce and is useful as an all-purpose
cleaner and disinfectant [7]. Findings represented that eco-enzyme is frequently employed in agriculture (as
liquid organic fertilizer and pesticides), health (as disinfectant and cleanser), and household (as a soap and
mouthwash substitution). Nevertheless, the existing articles did not discuss the development of eco-enzyme as
a potential sanitizer aerosol spray when in fact, eco-enzyme can destroy germs, bacteria, and viruses, including
COVID-19. The presence of acetic acid and enzymes (i.e., protease, lipase, amylase) in eco-enzyme led to the
ability of eco-enzyme to act as a natural disinfectant, making it useful during the pandemic era [8], [9].

Journal homepage: http://ijphs.iaescore.com

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We should consider eco-enzyme's effectiveness in an aerosol spray despite its functionality. Studies
have shown that eco-enzyme is suitable for sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces. Disinfectant is needed to
prevent us from diseases caused by microorganisms in the hands, the surface of objects, smartphones, and other
things that allow bacteria to stick. Diseases caused by bacteria lead people to be infected with mild to severe
flu such as COVID-19, or even could attack our digestive organs such as diarrhea. Therefore, the use of eco-
enzymes as disinfectants can be utilized to maintain the health of our bodies. Although eco-enzyme has
drawbacks in aroma, eco-enzyme is a perfect bio-waste utilization for nonchemical-based sanitization products.
Through a systematic review study, we filled the current gap to know the potential of eco-enzyme as an eco-
friendly air disinfectant spray. The waste around us has become a public concern. Reducing a large amount of
organic waste is possible by transforming it into an eco-enzyme [10]. This defines the aim of this paper, which
is to compile results from previous studies on fruit waste by systematically reviewing empirical studies on
household waste practices to develop an eco-enzyme.

2. METHOD
The authors conducted a systematic review to identify eco-enzyme's effectiveness as an eco-friendly
air disinfectant spray. This systematic review was performed based on the preferred reporting items for
systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, which shown in Figure 1. The authors used five
databases, such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Open Alex, for the English language. In contrast, Garuda and
Sinta were also used to discover the published studies for the Indonesian language. The five databases above
are chosen due to their relevance to the subject area. An advanced search in five databases from 2012 until 17
March 2022 used eco-enzyme, sanitizer, organic waste, and air-purifier keywords. A limit of 10 years of
publication is because food waste has been a significant problem for the last ten years. Recycling waste trends
increase where COVID-19 and food waste have been a global problem nowadays. Therefore, the authors use
the database with this time span. Moreover, the authors also used synonyms of the listed keywords, as outlined in
Table 1. Due to the limited sources of unpublished studies, the authors decided not to include them in this review.

Identification of studies via databases and registers

Records identified from*: Records removed before

Database: Garuda screening:
Registers (n = 5) Duplicate records removed
Identification

Database: Google Scholar (n = 6)

Registers (n = 107) Records marked as ineligible
Database: Pubmed by automation tools (n = 0)
Registers (n = 8) Records removed for other
Database: Open Alex reasons (n = 0)
Registers (n = 15)
Database: Sinta
Registers (n = 8)

Records excluded**
Records screened
(n = 57)
(n = 137)
Screening

Reports sought for retrieval Reports not retrieved

(n = 80) (n = 0)

Reports assessed for eligibility Reports excluded:

(n = 80) Reason 1: irrelevant topics
(n = 23)
Reason 2: insufficient data
(n = 11)
Reason 3: not in English/
Indonesian language (n = 5)
Reason 4: social study case
reports (n = 17)
Included

Studies included in review

(n = 21)
Reports of included studies
(n = 3)

Figure 1. PRISMA diagram

This systematic review will be done by cross reviewing previous experimental results from previous
studies to investigate the effectiveness of eco-enzymes in an aerosol spray. The article should meet the following
criteria: i) quantitative/qualitative study, ii) primary or secondary research, iii) involved in vitro trials, lab
experimentation, and community development as sample characteristics, iv) written in English or Bahasa

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Indonesia, v) published within ten years (2012-2022) to ensure the validity of the research. The articles that did
not meet the eligibility criteria were excluded, while the rest were retrieved and assessed for their eligibility.

Table 1. Search strings in English and Indonesian

English Indonesian
“Eco-enzyme as disinfectant” OR “Eco-enzyme as sanitizer” OR “Eko-enzim sebagai disinfektan” OR “Eko-enzim sebagai
“Eco-enzyme as air-purifier” OR “Eco-enzyme” OR “Organic sanitizer” OR “Eko-enzim sebagai pembersih udara” OR
waste” OR “Plant waste” “Eko-enzim” OR “Sampah organik” OR “Sampah tumbuhan”
NOT NOT
“Inorganic waste” “Sampah inorganic”

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A digital search in five databases yielded 143 articles imported to Zotero's bibliography management
software for automatic duplication removal (n=6). The rest of the articles (n=137) were screened according to
their title and abstract. Not only that, but we also considered the eligibility criteria shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Outcomes of the included articles [11]–[34]

Subject(s) Effective Application
Criteria Formulation (Y/N)
[11] Fruit peel (pineapple, citrus) 6:4 of pineapple and citrus peels Y Industrial waste treatment
30 g molasses, 300 mL of water
[12] Fruit or vegetable dregs 1:3:10 of diluent sugar, kitchen Y Detergent, organic fertilizer, car-care,
waste, and water and fabric softener
[13] Organic waste (pineapple, orange, 1:3:10 of organic waste, brown Y Aquaculture sludge treatment
tomato, mango) sugar, and water
[14] Fruit waste (pineapple, banana, papaya) 1:3:10 of molasses, citrus waste, Y Antibacterial against E. coli
and water
[15] Fruit or vegetable waste 1:3:10 of molasses, organic waste, Y Natural disinfectant and Liquid
and water organic fertilizer (LOF) and pesticides
[16] Citrus waste 1:3:10 of molasses, citrus waste, Y Fertilizer & wastewater treatment
and water
[17] Variety of organic waste 1:3:10 of molasses, organic waste, Y Contaminated water treatment
and water
[18] Organic waste (orange, papaya, 1:3:10 of molasses, organic waste, Y House cleaner or natural disinfectant
watermelon) and water and fertilizer
[19] Fruit waste (orange, apple, peach, pear, 1:3:10 of molasses, waste fruits, Y Antibacterial
watermelon, banana) and water
[20] Variety of organic waste (mostly fruit 1:3:10 of molasses, organic waste, Y Wastewater treatment
peels) and water
[21] Fruit waste (orange, pineapple, and 1:3:10 of molasses, organic waste, Y Antimicrobial against Enterococcus
papaya) and water sp.
[22] Fruit peels (orange, pineapple, and Not reported Y Bar soap
papaya)
[23] Fruit peels (oranges) 1:3:10 of sugar, kitchen waste, Y Natural disinfectant
and water
[24] Fruit peels (lime, pineapple, pomegranate, 1:3:10 of brown sugar, Y Antibacterial
and papaya) and vegetable waste fruit/vegetable peels, and water
[25] Organic waste (rambutan fruit skin, 1:3:10 of molasses, organic waste, Y Bio-hand sanitizer bio-disinfectant
corn cob, and chayote skin) and water
[26] Organic waste (citrus peels (orange), 1:3:10 of mixing jaggery, wastes, Y Wastewater treatment
marigold flowers, and neem leaves) and water
[27] Domestic organic waste 1:3:10 of sugar, fruit waste, and Y Natural disinfectants
water
[28] Fruit peel (pineapple) 1:3:10 of brown sugar, pineapple Y Antibacterial
peel, and water
[29] Fruit waste (tomato and orange wastes 1:3:10 of mixture sugar, fruit Y Aquaculture sludge treatment
wastes, and water
[30] Fruit peels (orange, pineapple, and Not reported Y Hand sanitizer
papaya)
[31] Fruit peel (sweet lemon) 1:3:5 of jaggery, sweet lemon Y Antimicrobial
peel, and water
[32] Fruit peel (orange, pineapple, and 1:3:10 of brown sugar, fruit peel Y Natural disinfectant
papaya) waste, and water
[33] Organic waste (pineapple and papaya) 1:3:10 of molasse, organic waste, Y A natural disinfectant, floor cleaning,
and water and insecticide
[34] Citrus fruit peels (sweet lime, orange, 1:3:10 of brown sugar, fruit peels, Y Floor cleaning, utensils, gardening,
and lemon) and water enhanced plant growth

Eco-enzyme as disinfectant–a systematic … (Cindy Vidalia)

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Therefore, we successfully retrieved 24 articles for our systematic review study. Furthermore, we also
extracted data from each obtained paper. The authors independently performed the data extraction for 24
accepted papers. Data extraction included i) bibliographic information (author(s) name, publication year, and
status), ii) research objectives, iii) origin of the research, iv) subject (samples and criteria), v) study
characteristics (formulation, type, design) and vi) result. The formulation of eco-enzyme was extracted to
compare the effectiveness and functionality of eco-enzyme made by other researchers. Visualizations of data
synthesis are provided in this text in the form of a table and pie chart diagram to summarize the obtained results
and recommendations for future study. Table 2 outlined the outcomes of accepted articles related to the
subjects, effectiveness, and application of eco-enzyme.
Figure 2. shows that the formulation for making this eco-enzyme has a ratio of 1:3:10 of sugar/brown
sugar/jaggery, organic waste, and water, which is the primary ratio used to make eco-enzymes. The percentage
of the enzyme is 88% and is the most significant ratio among other formulations. There is 4% in the ratio of
making eco-enzyme with a magnitude of 1:3:5 of sugar/brown sugar/jaggery, organic waste, and water, which
is eco-enzyme production carried out by Geetha and Kaparapu [31], while the percentage is 8% resulted from
not reported formulation of eco-enzyme as shown in Megawati and Nugroho [22], and Rusdianasari et al. [30].

Figure 2. Formulation of eco-enzyme

Through Figure 3, it can be seen that the application of eco-enzyme can be used as a natural
disinfectant by 25% and is the most preferred choice for people to use eco-enzyme in their daily life. In addition,
eco-enzyme is also an option for people for wastewater treatment with a percentage of 13%. Aquaculture sludge
treatment is also the center of attention for managers so as not to cause contamination that can affect the
environment with a percentage of 8%. Moreover, 8% of eco-enzyme applications can also be applied as
antibacterial and antimicrobial, in which eco-enzymes can be used to prevent exposure to microbes such as
Enterococcus sp. 46% of other eco-enzyme applications are used by people as hand sanitizer, bar soap, fertilizer
and wastewater treatment, floor cleaning, utensils, gardening, enhanced plant growth, insecticide, detergent,
car care, and fabric softener.

Figure 3. Applications of eco-enzyme

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3.1. Chemical disinfectant compared to natural disinfectant on health problems

Nowadays, it is essential to do disinfection practices to reduce the potential COVID-19 virus
contamination in every setting, such as homes, schools, gyms, offices, and other public places. However,
disinfectants use chemicals to kill germs on surfaces and objects. Some common disinfectants are bleach and
alcohol solutions. We usually need to leave the disinfectant on the surfaces and objects for a particular time to
kill the germs. Disinfectants that contain strong chemicals and disinfectants have health risks for people and
pets. When they are washed down the drain, they contaminate our waterways and soil as we can smell the
chemicals whenever we use these cleaning products, and the labels even warn us to wear gloves, avoid contact
with skin and eyes, and not to breathe in the fumes. Thus, even though chemical-based disinfectants can sanitize
and disinfect surfaces, reducing the likelihood of spreading illness-causing bacteria and viruses, they can also
cause allergic reactions, skin irritations, respiratory issues, and other health problems. Using all-natural
disinfectants like eco enzyme is a far healthier and safer choice as it avoids breathing in the harsh chemicals in
toxic cleaning products, reducing the chance of skin conditions such as eczema and respiratory infections [27].

3.2. Definition and procedure of making eco-enzyme

From all 24 studies, 20 studies' results show formulation of eco-enzyme with the ratio of sugar, organic
waste, and water (1:3:10) being effective for applications such as cleaning agents, disinfectants, insecticides,
aquaculture sludge treatment agents, wastewater treatment agents, hand sanitizer, fertilizer, and even solution
for specific for combatting E. coli strain. The reason bio- enzyme with the formulation of 1:3:10 is effective
for those purposes, especially as fertilizer, is that the formulation of 1:3:10 could produce bio-enzyme with pH
above four, which is slightly acidic than the base is due to the high water dilution. Thus preventing plants from
experiencing acid burn when the bio-enzyme is used as a fertilizer. Bio-enzyme could also be an effective
fertilizer since bio-enzyme could not deactivate soil biology and other beneficial bacteria [34]. Other
formulations besides 1:3:10, such as bio-enzyme made from formulation 1:3:5 (sugar, organic waste, and
water) and other unreported formulations, were also effective to be used for sanitation and water treatment
purposes due to less water-diluted bio-enzyme would be more acidic than higher diluted bio-enzyme such as
formulation of 1:3:10 which is still effective for sanitization, water treatment, cleaning agent purposes but not
suitable as fertilizer. Thus, all 24 studies were effective for each application (Y).
Eco-enzyme is a multi-purpose solution made from the fermentation of organic waste with molasses
and water. Previous studies revealed that eco-enzyme has a wide application in our daily life, either in the
household or agricultural field. Hence, it is recommended for society to utilize organic waste as an eco-enzyme.
Making eco-enzyme is based on anaerobic fermentation with a 1:3:10 ratio of molasses/brown sugars/jaggery,
organic waste, and water. Approximately 10 g of molasses, 30 g of organic waste, and 1,000 g of water are
necessary for eco-enzyme production. However, the 1:3:10 ratio rule for eco-enzyme production is not
mandatory to be followed and may differ from one another. For instance, Saramanda and Kaparapu [31] used
the 1:3:5 ratio for eco-enzyme production. The criteria for organic waste selection must be either fresh fruit or
vegetable waste or peels and has not spoiled/biologically contaminated. All materials for eco-enzyme
production are gathered in one container equipped with a lid for up to three months. Nonetheless, the container
should be opened occasionally for the gas release due to microbial activity. In addition, the jar should be narrow
enough and provide room for the gas release to avoid explosion. After three months, the eco-enzyme solution
is filtrated and mixed with water for future uses, such as house cleaning fluid and pesticides [7]. During the
storage period, eco-enzyme must be kept away from the children's reach, Wi-Fi radiation, toilet, and other
potential cross-contamination sections and hazards [35].
Eco-enzyme results from the fermentation of organic waste made from fruits/vegetable scraps,
molasses, and water. Eco-enzyme typically acts as an all-purpose cleaner and disinfectant; therefore, a few
criteria must be met to ensure the enzyme produced is safe to use. The ingredients criteria are raw
fruits/vegetable waste and clean water [11]. Using cooked food that has an oil residue, meat scraps, and dirty
water will produce rotting liquid trash instead of eco-enzyme. Raw fruits/vegetable scraps naturally contain
bacteria that will feed off of the sugar from the molasses and kickstart the fermentation process. Moreover,
clean water will ensure that harmful bacteria do not contaminate the eco-enzyme [14].

3.2.1. Pros and cons of eco-enzyme

There are a few pros and cons to using eco-enzyme as an alternative cleaning product like any other
product. The pros of the eco-enzyme are that it is cheap because the main ingredients are raw fruits/vegetable
scraps, easy to produce, non-toxic because it is made from all-natural ingredients (free of harmful chemicals),
and environmentally friendly. Eco-enzyme has been used to treat wastewater [16] and sludge removal from
freshwater [29] as a cheaper alternative to regular waste handling procedures [26]. Eco-enzyme can also be
used to clean multiple surfaces without any toxic side effects on humans and pets [12]. Moreover, the wastes
from making the eco-enzyme can be used as an excellent fertilizer, thereby reducing the amount of garbage in
the landfill [15].
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The cons to this eco-enzyme are that if the pH of the final product happens to be below 4, it is
considered too acidic [27]. If used as pesticides or fertilizer on plants, the eco-enzyme could cause an "acid
burn" and kill the plants [34]. Another drawback of eco-enzyme is the time it takes to ferment—the
fermentation process of eco-enzymes takes three months to meet the SNI standards as sanitizers [30], [32].
Eco-enzyme's other name is garbage enzymes. True to its name, the odor of the enzyme can be slightly sour
(vinegary) and unpleasant to the olfactory. The formulation and types of raw fruits/vegetable scraps used can
be slightly trickier to figure out [11].
Because eco-enzyme is also considered garbage enzyme, sometimes the fermentation result can
produce a sharp and unpleasant sour odor. Furthermore, since eco-enzyme is often used as a cleaner and even
hand soaps, the harsh fermentation smell can deter customers' willingness to try it. However, with the addition
of citrus peels, the sharp odor can be masked, producing a fresh citrusy smell associated with regular cleaning
products and hand soaps. The desirable color for eco-enzyme is dark brown. The brown color comes from the
molasses used during fermentation, indicating a successful fermentation process. If the color of the co-enzyme
is black, that means that the enzyme is contaminated and it is unusable [18].

3.3. The potential and effectiveness of eco-enzyme as a natural disinfectant

The effectiveness of eco-enzyme as cleaner and disinfectant has been proven many times before in
numerous works of literature. Galintin et al. [13] proved that a concentration of 10% eco-enzyme can treat
aqua sludge and reduce total suspended solid (TOD) by 89%, volatile suspended solid (VSS) by 78%, chemical
oxygen demand (COD) by 88%, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) by 94%, and total phosphorus (TP) by 97%.
Hemalatha and Visantini [16] proved that wastewater contaminated by heavy metals treated using eco-enzyme
reduced biological oxygen demand (BOD) by 70%, total solids (TS) by 32.5%, total dissolved solids (TDS) by
39.5%, and TSS by 33%. Kerkar and Salvi [20] treated wastewater with a concentration of 10% eco-enzyme.
They reduced the numbers of TDS, BOD, COD, and most probable number (MPN), increasing the pH of the
wastewater to near neutral (6.82) and meeting the irrigation standards in five days. Bharvi et al. [26] proved
that eco-enzyme could replace expensive wastewater treatment since eco-enzyme TDS and COD. According
to the paper, orange peels based eco-enzyme is the most effective eco-enzyme in decreasing TDS from
3,200 to 2,800 mg/L within 50 days period and marigold eco-enzyme was the most effective in reducing
chemical oxygen demand in wastewater from 1,920-1,028 mg/L at 30 days period.
Ginting et al. [14] did an in vivo experiment that proves diluted eco-enzyme at 1:30 can inhibit the
growth of E. coli in pig pens. Jiang et al. [19]; Rochyani et al. [33] showed that a low pH eco-enzyme could
act as an inhibitor and inhibit the growth of bacterial community and diversity, making it suitable as a
disinfectant and cleaner. Eco-enzyme can be an alternative to endodontic irrigants in dentistry. Mavani et al.
[21] proved that a concentration of 50% eco-enzyme has similar results to the endodontic irrigants inhibiting
Enterococcus faecalis strain and without the harmful side effect. Neupane and Khadka [24] proved that
pomegranate eco-enzyme has the highest enzymatic activity inhibition on all agar media and has the highest
effectiveness in inhibiting gram-positive bacteria such as S. aureus, S. aureus (ATCC 25923), and Bacillus spp.
In contrast, the pineapple eco-enzyme has the highest antimicrobial properties against gram-negative bacteria.
Megawati and Nugroho [22] showed that eco-enzyme has the possibility as one of the ingredients in
creating hand soaps that meet the SNI standards. Mubarok et al. [23] and Nurdin et al. [25] showed that eco-
enzyme is an excellent utilization of bio-waste for producing a safe and sustainable disinfectant/sanitizer
because of the presence of acetic acid and naturally occurring enzymes such as lipase, trypsin, and amylase.
Rahayu and Situmeang [27]; Ramadani et al. [28] showed that a concentration of 50% eco-enzyme with
60-70% alcohol and pH below four infused with frangipani flower extract has strong inhibition power against
Staphylococcus aureus. Saramanda and Kaparapu [31] proved that a concentration of 15% eco-enzyme works
best in inhibiting E. coli, S. aureus, Streptococcus, Salmonella, and Pseudomonas for bacteria and Aspergillus
niger, Fusarium and Cladosporium for fungi.
The fermentation of organic waste into eco-enzyme creates natural chains of proteins, mineral salts,
and enzymes. This solution can break down, develop and catalyze functions into an excellent cleaning aid.
Regarding eco-enzyme antimicrobial effect and water irrigants, the raw material used for making eco-enzyme
also served an important role [7]. Natural plant extracts have been studied as a potential substitute for NaOCl
as endodontic irrigants. Ginting et al. [14], Jannah et al. [18], Jiang et al. [19], and Mavani et al. [21] reported
that fruit peels had displayed antimicrobial activities against various microorganisms, including Enterococcus
faecalis. Following fermentation, the antibacterial properties of fruit peels are further enhanced as organic
substances are decomposed, yielding secondary metabolites known as bioactive compounds or phytochemicals.
The extraction of enzymes, organic acids, and phenolic compounds through the fermentation process is
preferred over conventional methods that require costly solvents, involve the possible degradation of heat-
labile compounds, and hard to obtain high purity extracts. Thus, fermented fruit peels, known as eco-enzyme,
could be an alternative endodontic irrigant [15].

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For instance, an eco-enzyme extracted from fermented unripe papaya (Carica papaya) peels is rich in
papain, exhibiting significant antibacterial efficacy against Enterococcus faecalis. A study by Duarte and co-
workers reported that 0.8% of papain is equally effective as 1.0% NaOCl in inhibiting Enterococcus faecalis
growth. It has less harmful effects on vital tissues than NaOCl, as its proteolytic activities selectively target
unhealthy tissues where α1-antitrypsin plasmatic antiprotease is absent. Besides, phytochemicals found in the
papaya peel eco-enzyme demonstrate a potential anti-inflammatory effect, which minimizes the chronic
inflammatory process and tissue destruction, particularly in apical periodontitis [29]. Similarly, eco-enzyme
derived from pineapple (Ananas comosus) and orange (Citrus aurantium L.) peels have been shown to have
antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. The synergistic effect of the two eco-enzymes increases the
potency of their antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacteria. The high content of polyphenolic
compounds and flavonoids in pineapple and orange peel extracts are found to be responsible for their excellent
antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Bromelain from pineapple extracts effectively kills Enterococcus
faecalis by disrupting the peptidoglycan and polysaccharide components of bacterial cell membranes [1].
Dhiman and Head [12] also reported that eco-enzyme could be used as a natural detergent, eco-
enzyme can effectively break down grease and artificial chemical contaminants. Pouring diluted eco-enzyme
into the rivers or drainage can purify the wastewater [16], [17], [20]. The ordinary detergent's surfactant will
emulsify grease and drain away with water, making the wastewater polluted. However, the eco-enzyme
detergent will effectively catalyst and break down grease into small molecules and intensify the cleaning
process [1]. In terms of eco-enzyme as pesticides and natural fertilizers, studies such as Dhiman [12], Hasanah
[15], Hemalatha and Visantini [16], Jannah et al. [18] have shown that growing plants without using chemical
fertilizers can protect the environment and keep us healthy. Eco-enzyme is very useful for agriculture, where
eco-enzyme can build fertile soil due to many nutrients found in the waste used to make it. Eco-enzyme also
acts as a natural fertilizer. It can make a barren land fertile, repelling pests without using pesticides; spraying
the mixture of eco-enzyme with water on the lawn will reduce insects. It is a natural herbicide, helping plants
grow well, and eco enzymes can enhance photosynthesis. As a result, plants will get more nutrients, and their
roots can absorb more air. In addition, the emitted ozone from eco-enzyme facilitates the growth of plants.
Using eco-enzyme to clean areas for keeping livestock can make them healthier [14]. It maintains the
cleanliness where eco-enzyme acts as a natural air freshener and by praying it on the floor of the shed for
keeping animals can keep flies foul odor away. As a result, domestic animals will have a cleaner place to live.
Eco-enzyme can also Improve animal health whereby. Adding eco-enzymes to food and water for feeding
domestic animals can boost their immune system and improve the quality of poultry or meat because the waste
used for making eco enzymes is rich in nutrients [7].
Furthermore, the eco-enzyme itself could be used as an aerial disinfectant in the form of fine mist via
aerial fogging to target airborne pathogens, including the COVID-19 virus strain [36]. In addition, eco-enzyme is
also beneficial to the earth's atmosphere because fermentation of eco-enzyme could produce gas such as ozone.
To create an eco-enzyme suitable for aerial disinfection purposes, the eco-enzyme must be highly diluted with
a water ratio of 1:1,000 ml [35]. The eco-enzyme is also infused with aromatherapy essential oil for fragrance
since not all fermented eco-enzymes smell pleasant. The addition of essential oil enhances the freshness and
significantly decreases the acidic smell of the eco-enzyme from producing acetic acid and alcohol [10].
According to recent studies, eco-enzyme can act as a disinfectant against pathogenic microbes due to
the contained biocidal enzymes with an acid such as trypsin, lipase, amylase, and acetic acid [25]. Acetic acid
is biocidal since its mechanism triggers biocidal effects against the virus envelope by inactivation and
disaggregation of haemagglutinin glycoprotein structure. Furthermore, acetic acid itself could generate low
pH-dependent conformational change toward COVID-19 glycoproteins destroying the viral envelope that
protects the viral DNA of COVID-19. Thus, it inhibits viral transmission of COVID-19 and other airborne
diseases. Acetic acid as inhalation medication against airborne pathogenic is a common folk remedy in Italy
by diluting vinegar into boiling water and inhaling it [37]. The result of eco-enzyme with a ratio of molasses,
organic waste, and water being 1:3:10 before adding essential oil and high-water dilution on pathogenic
microbe analyses by the Health Laboratory of Semarang shows that eco-enzyme as the aseptic aerosol spray is
effective due to its biocidal effect could reduce the total viable count of the pathogen from 61% to 38% just in
an hour [10]. Mubarok et al. [23] also reported that a high concentration of orange peel in total organic waste
for the production of eco-enzyme would contribute to the increase of specific biocidal flavonoid formation
called hesperidin that could act as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, cell aggregation inhibition, and even UV
protecting activity.

3.4. Article limitation

This review has several limitations in terms of article inclusion. To ensure the validity of the studies,
we only included articles within ten years of publication from five databases. Furthermore, we could only
interpret the obtained data qualitatively since we did not perform the analysis. Instead, we compiled results
from previous studies to know the potential and application of eco-enzyme to act as a disinfectant.
Eco-enzyme as disinfectant–a systematic … (Cindy Vidalia)
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4. CONCLUSION
This systematic literature review study shows that eco-enzyme is feasible, economical, and a perfect
bio-waste utilization for nonchemical-based sanitation products for specific strains of microorganisms. Not
only microorganisms but eco-enzyme is also effective against pest removal in the agricultural field. Hence, the
transformation of eco-enzyme from organic waste is expected to reduce the amount of accumulated waste
significantly. For future research, the authors suggested observing more the capabilities of eco-enzyme in
various fields, especially for medicinal purposes.

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BIOGRAPHIES OF AUTHORS

Cindy Vidalia is a passionate learner with Food Technology as a background.

As a learner, she constantly explores herself with many activities to develop her problem-
solving, critical, and analytical thinking skills. Besides, she actively participated in a national
competition to develop an immune-boosting food product and got a Best 10 of Paper
Competition with her team. The science behind food production has always fascinated and
motivated her to become a part of the Food Industry, notably in research & development,
food safety, quality assurance, and control to achieve a healthy consumer lifestyle. She is also
a sustainability enthusiast for a better living environment because all big things come from
small beginnings. She can be contacted at e-mail: cindy.vidalia@binus.ac.id.

Emily Angelina is a highly motivated novice in the Food Technology industry.

She is currently determined to attain and develop new and current skills at any given
opportunity. She participated in a national competition to develop an immune-boosting food
product, getting the Best 10 of Paper Competition title with her co-authors. She is highly
interested in product design and development in food technology that utilizes agricultural and
food waste for environmental sustainability. She can be contacted at e-mail:
emily.angelina@binus.ac.id.

Joenni Hans is a enthusiastic Food Technology explorer. She always thrives to

explore and try new skills by contributing in group discussion that help her develop fresh
ideas. She also participated in national competition to develop an immune boosting food
product that obtained the title of Best 10 of Paper Competition with her co-authors. She has
always been fascinated by the development in food production as it motivated her to be part
of the food industries in hopes to achieve a new era and perspective in the food industry. She
can be contacted at email: joenni.hans@binus.ac.id.

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Lin Hill Field is an ambitious food technologist eager to learn new skills and
knowledge at any given opportunity to self-improve. He is also very determined to face new
challenges along the way and motivated to become part of the food industries in the future
for better living environments and a new era of safer food products. He can be contacted at
e-mail: lin.field@binus.ac.id.

Nathania Caroline Santo is a learner majoring in Food Technology and is

interested in studying nutrition and food. She developed her skills to further explore food
science and the development of renewable food science. She reads and writes a lot of
scientific papers that help her explore the food industry, production, and design. She can be
contacted at e-mail: nathania.santo@binus.ac.id.

Elisabeth Rukmini was born in Temanggung, Central Java, Indonesia in 1973.

She graduated from Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 1998, majoring in
chemistry. She studied inorganic chemistry at Kosin University, Busan, Korea (MSc in 2000).
In 2007, she received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue Ph.D. in chemistry education at
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She is a faculty member at Food Technology Department,
Faculty of Engineering, Binus University. She is also the Manager of Strategic Development
at the university. Prior to her current work, she was at Atma Jaya Catholic University of
Indonesia from 2003-2020. Her last position at Atma Jaya was the Vice-Rector for
Collaboration, Research, and Strategic Planning. She then moved as Head of Strategic
Planning at Universitas Pembangunan Jaya in 2021. Her research interests are active learning,
green chemistry, science education, medical education, strategic planning, and higher
education policy. She teaches chemistry and research methods & scientific publication at her
current university. She can be contacted at e-mail: elisabeth.rukmini@binus.ac.id.

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