In Vitro Acute Toxicity Evaluation as an Approach to Developing a Safe Feminine Hygiene Product Containing Citronella Grass (Cymbopogon nardus)

Background: Natural-based Feminine Hygiene products have the potential to serve as an alternative for intimate cleansing preparations. Citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus L.) is one potential ingredient due to its secondary metabolites and antimicrobial activity. However, its application to sensitive areas requires safety evaluation to ensure that it does not cause toxic effects at the cellular level. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the acute in vitro toxicity and viability of Human Dermal Fibroblast (HDF) cells exposed to a Feminine Hygiene preparation containing citronella grass extract. Methods: An experimental in vitro design was employed. The preparation was formulated into four formulas: F1 without extract as the negative control, F2 containing 2% extract, F3 containing 3% extract, and F4 containing 4% extract. Toxicity was evaluated using HDF cells by measuring cell viability using the MTT assay. Each treatment was performed in triplicate, and the results were expressed as cell viability percentages.Results: F1 showed a cell viability of 97.81 ± 0.35%, while F2, F3, and F4 showed viabilities of 94.18 ± 0.45%, 91.34 ± 0.43%, and 87.67 ± 0.54%, respectively. All formulas showed cell viability above 70% and were categorized as non-toxic under the test conditions.Conclusion: The Feminine Hygiene preparations containing 2–4% citronella grass extract demonstrated high HDF cell viability and no significant acute cytotoxicity. Formulations containing up to 4% extract have potential for further development as natural-based Feminine Hygiene preparations with good cellular compatibility.