Efficacy of Eco Friendly Antimicrobial Finish on Organic Cotton and Bamboo Knit Fabrics

Abstract

Textiles are catering to divergent areas of application. New researches are bombarding to newlineidentify textiles with special finishes that would enhance the properties of fabric as well as comfort of newlinewearer. Antimicrobial finishes are one such, wherein it can be incorporated for preventing or newlinecontrolling microbial growth on textiles providing good scope for natural antimicrobials. These newlineantimicrobials are available in nature as plants. When these plants are exploited for antimicrobial newlinefinish, the adverse conditions harming environment may be lowered as they are eco-friendly. With all newlinethese facts in mind the current research work is carried out to develop microencapsulated and newlinenanoencapsulated bamboo and organic cotton single jersey knit fabrics. The potential of antimicrobial newlineeffect of herbs Catharanthus roseus, Melia azedarach, Punica granatum, Ficus infectoria, Moringa newlineconcanensis, Acacia concinna, Emblica officinalis, Ocimum sanctum, Psidium guajava, Nicotiana newlinetabacum and solvents against microbial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, newlineAspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesci were analyzed. Based on the zone inhibition potential herbal newlinesources were selected for final study. Combinatorial method was done to select the best possible ratio newlineof herbs. Finally 1:2:3 of Punica granatum, Moringa concanensis and Psidium guajava was proved to newlinebe the best ratio. Selected herbal combinations were taken for final study and the herbal combination newlinewere micro and nano capsulated. Exhaust method was employed to finish the bamboo and cotton newlinesingle jersey knit fabrics using micro and nano encapsules. To ascertain the properties of unfinished, newlinemicro and nano encapsulated bamboo and organic cotton single jersey knit fabrics, various tests were newlinecarried out. Antibacterial and antifungal efficacy, physical and comfort properties, overall moisture newlinemanagement and other tests were done. SEM analysis was also done to study the efficacy of herbal newlinefinished.