Herbal treated microbial resistant fabrics for healthcare textiles

Abstract

This study deals with the effect of coating herbs on single jersey knitted fabric to evaluate the microbial resistance nature of healthcare textiles. In this work four types of herbs were identified such as Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.), Konrai (Cassia fistula L.), Henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) and Papaya (Carica papaya L.). The application methods were adopted in both direct/exhaust (aqueous and methanol with citric acid is a cross linking agent extract) and microencapsulation of herbal extracts on single jersey knitted fabric by pad-dry-cure method. Herbal treated fabrics underwent SEM analysis and antimicrobial activity (both quantitative and qualitative) was conducted. The treated samples were evaluated for wash durability by AATCC–100–2004. The microencapsulated treated fabrics showed better antibacterial activity up to 15 washes compared to directly applied, aqueous and menthol extract treated fabrics.