Development of plant-based antimicrobial cellulosic fabrics

This paper details the assessment and evaluation of eight medicinal plants, found in Tamil Nadu, India, in order to develop indigenous antimicrobial fabrics for use in healthcare and home textile sectors. Qualitative phytochemical examination of the plant extracts and subsequent testing against common microbes (both gram-positive and gram-negative) was used to rate the effectiveness of solvent. Additionally, antioxidant activity (by DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay) was studied using ascorbic acid as reference standard. Antimicrobial actuators such as alkaloids, terpenoids, phenol, and tannin were the secondary metabolites identified by phytochemical analysis of the plant extracts. Methanol extracts of B. variegata , C. quadrangularis , and S. torvum demonstrated good antibacterial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus . In terms of percentage inhibition, the antioxidant activity for the methanol extract fractions was almost identical to that of the reference. Antibacterial evaluation of cellulosic fabrics (cotton, bamboo and 50/50 bamboo-cotton) finished by pad-dry-cure method with above plant extracts revealed inhibitory zones ranging from 23mm to 32mm following EN ISO 20645 standards against E. coli and S. aureus respectively. The findings indicate that the identified plant extracts could be employed to develop indigenous biomedical and home textile products after process optimization and field trials.