Presentation onAntimicrobial finish on bleached cotton fabric

with Aloe VeraCourse Title: Project WorkCourse No.: WPE 445

Supervised byDr. Mohammad Forhad HossainAssistant Professor & Head, Department of Wet Process EngineeringBangladesh University of Textiles.

AbstractBiotechnology is a frontier area in the field of science & technology having significant commercial applications in healthcare, agriculture, textile & service sectors. There is a good deal of demand for the fabrics having functional/specialty finishes in general antimicrobial finishes in particular to protect human being against microbes. The application of antimicrobial textile finishes includes a wide range of textile products for medical, technical and apparel sectors. Recent developments on aloe Vera have opened up new avenues in this area of research .

Keywords: Aloe Vera, Cotton, Antimicrobial, Parallel streak method.

 

Aim and ObjectivesThe aim of the project is to develop a sample which is not affected by microbes. To extract aloe Vera gel from aloe Vera leaves and treat fabric with the gel.

When fabric is worn next to skin, infestation by microbes causes cross infection by pathogens and development odours. The performance properties of cotton fabric are lost as a result of microbial attack. Antimicrobial fabric can be beneficial to a wide variety of people. Antimicrobial agent destroys the growth of micro-organisms and their negative effects of odour, staining, and deterioration. Moreover, anti-microbial agents are used on fabric to control bacteria, fungi, mould, mildew and algae.

Some harmful species of the bacteria's are listed in Table below:

BacteriaGram positive bacteria

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus epidermidis

Corynebacterium

Gram negative bacteria

Escherichia coli

 Proteus vulgaris

Aloe Barbadensis Miller (Aloe Vera) plant is found to be more useful to the humankind because of the medicinal properties it possess. It is cultivated in the regions like India, South Africa, America, Mexico and other parts of the world. The aloe plant being a cactus plant, is about 95 % water, with an average pH of 4.5. The remaining solid material contains over 75 different ingredients including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugars, anthraquinones or phenolic compounds, lignin, saponins, sterols, amino acids and salicylic acid. The bitter yellow juice derived from Aloe Vera leaves are used to make Aloe juice and it can also be used as laxative. Aloe Vera plants are well known for their medicinal and healing properties from centuries. It is extensively used for wound healings, psoriasis, skin injury and diabetes.

Composition of Aloe Vera

MaterialsAloe Vera, bleached cotton fabric, knife, beaker, water.

 

Methodology

MethodsFor sample preparation: Pad-dry-cure method.For testing of the effect of microbes on treated sample: Parallel streak method. Collection of SampleThe leaves of Aloe Vera plants were collected from the market, Colony Market, Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208.100% Bleached Cotton Fabric is collected from Zaber and Zobair group.

 

Extraction by Hand First, cut Aloe Vera leaf from the plant

Washing the Aloe Vera leaf to remove the dirt.

Massaging the solid gel to Change into liquid gel using our hands.Extracting the Aloe gel-using knife from inner parts of the leaf.

Treatment of Cotton Fabric with Aloe Vera Gel The Aloe Vera finishing on cotton fabric in three different concentrations such as the aloe gel: water 40:60, 60:40 and 100%) are done in the first case 49 gram of aloe gel is used with 30 ml of water. In the second case about 37.25 gram of aloe gel is mixed with 22.50 ml of water. In the third case about 50 ml of aloe gel is used. In each case samples are used and it is coated by using padding mangle and it is finally dried.

preparation of woven fabric for padding with solution

Fabric is being treated into solution

Treated fabric Padding is done

Sample is being prepared for test.

Determination of Antimicrobial Activity

Test Organisms•Test bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus•Staphylococcus aureus, American Type Culture Collection No. 6538. Gram positive organism.•Klebsiella pneumoniae, American Type Culture Collection No. 4352. Gram negative organism.•Other suitable species can also be used depending on the intended end-use of the test sample.

•Whenever possible, test the activity of the culture to be used against a standard control specimen (a positive control) with known antibacterial activity.

•To determine whether the antibacterial activity is due to the antibacterial agent, test a specimen of the same material treated in exactly the same way with whatever other finishing agents were used, but without the antibacterial agent. Many standard textile finishing chemicals, especially crease resistant and permanent press reagents, will often give strong antibacterial activity even after many washes.

Antimicrobial Activity Assessment of Textile Materials: Parallel Streak Method

a) Suitable broth/agar media are Nutrient, Trypticase Soy and Brain-Heart Infusion. i. Nutrient Broth: Peptone (Bacto-pepton) 5 g Beef extract 3 g Distilled water to 1000 mL

b) Heat to a boil to disperse ingredients. Adjust to pH 6.8 ± 0.1 with 1N NaOH solution. (This is not necessary if prepared, dehydrated medium is used.)

c) Dispense in 10.0 ± 0.5 mL amounts in conventional bacteriological culture tubes (i.e., 125 × 17 mm). Plug and sterilize at 103 kPa (15 psi) for 15 minutes.

d) Nutrient agar (see 13.4). Add 1.5% bacteriological agar to nutrient (or appropriate) broth. Heat to boiling. Check pH and adjust to (a) ± 0.1 using NaOH solution if necessary. Dispense in 15.0 ± 0.5 mL amounts in conventional bacteriological culture tubes, plug, and sterilize at 103 kPa (15 psi) for 15 min. (May be sterilized in 1,000 mL borosilicate glass flasks and petri dishes poured from this).

Culture Medium

Procedure• Dispense sterilized nutrient (or appropriate medium) agar [cooled to 47 ± 2°C (117 ± 4°F)] by pouring 15 ± 2 mL into each standard (15 × 100 mm) flat bottomed petri dish. Allow agar to gel firmly before inoculating.

• Prepare inoculum by transferring 1.0 ± 0.1 mL of a 24 h broth culture into 9.0 ± 0.1 mL of sterile distilled water contained in a test tube or small flask. Mix well using appropriate agitation.

• Using a 4 mm inoculating loop, load one loop ful of the diluted inoculum and transfer to the surface of the sterile agar plate by making five streaks approximately 60 mm in length, spaced 10 mm apart covering the central area of a standard petri dish (see 10.1) without refilling the loop. Take care not to break the surface of the agar while making the streaks.

• Gently press the test specimen transversely across the five inoculum streaks to ensure intimate contact with the agar surface. This may be accomplished more easily by pressing the specimen to the agar surface with a biological section lifter or with a spatula which has been sterilized by flaming and then air cooled immediately before use.

• If the specimen curls, preventing intimate contact with the inoculated surface, place sterile glass slides on the ends of the specimen to hold it in place. 10.6 Incubate at 37 ± 2°C (99 ± 4°F) for 18-24 h.

Examine the incubated plates for interruption of growth along the streaks of inoculum beneath the specimen and for a clear zone of inhibition beyond its edge. The average width of a zone of inhibition along a streak on either side of the test specimen may be calculated using the following equation: W = (T – D)/2Where: W = width of clear zone of inhibition in mm T = total diameter of test specimen and clear zone in mm D = diameter of the test specimen in mm

Evaluation

Result and Discussion

In order to evaluate the antimicrobial performance for treated cotton fabric, the assessment tests were carried out according to Parallel Streak Method.

We took four types of samples ( sample treated by a solution containing only 100% Aloe vera gel, sample treated by a solution containing 60% Aloe vera gel with 40% water, sample treated by a solution containing 60% Aloe vera gel with 60% water and untreated sample) for test. While testing the samples were set against selected pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus). After the ending of the test we found that:

 

In untreated sample, growth of S.aureus was maximum. For this reason untreated any bleached woven fabric can not easily protect the activity of S. aureus. So it has no antimicrobial activity.

Growth of S.aureus in untreated sample

In sample which is treated by a solution containing only 40% Aloe vera gel, growth of S.aureus was less. So 40% Aloe vera treated any bleached woven fabric can not easily protect the activity of S. aureus.

Growth of S,aureus in sample which is treated by a solution containing only 40% Aloe vera gel

Close view of sample which is treated by a solution containing only 40% Aloe vera gel

In sample which is treated by a solution containing only 60% Aloe vera gel, there was no growth of S. aureus. So it can be said that 60% Aloe vera treated any bleached woven fabric can protect the activity of S. aureus and can also be used as medical textiles because it can show antimicrobial activity.

Growth of S,aureus in sample which is treated by a solution containing only 60% Aloe vera gel

Close view of sample which is treated by a solution containing only 60% Aloe vera gel

Growth of S,aureus in sample which is treated by a solution containing only 100% Aloe vera gel

Close view of sample which is treated by a solution containing only 100% Aloe vera gel

In sample which is treated by a solution containing only 100% Aloe vera gel, there was no growth of S.aureus. So it can be said that 100% Aloe vera treated any bleached woven fabric can easily protect the activity of S. aureus and can be used as medical textiles because it can show antimicrobial activity.

1. It is difficult to make clear solution of Aloe vera gel for treating sample.2. For large scale application hand extract process is not applicable. 3. Still now its application area is limited to some medical textiles, home textiles etc.4. Need more researches on the application of Aloe vera gel in different areas of textiles

sectors.5. Test facilities are very limited in our country. Only few industries and universities have

the facility.6. Etc.

Limitations

K.Senthil Kumar Intertek India Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore, India Email: senthilkumar163@gmail.com)

Taylor, N. The Cathartic Racket – A Bitter Purge, in Plant Drugs That Changed the World, Dodd, Mead & Company: New York 1965; pp 158-160.

Reynolds, E.F. (Ed.) Martindale: The Extra Pharmacopoeia, The Pharmaceutical Press: London 1993.

El Zawahry, M.E., Hegazy, M.R., Helal, M. Use of aloe in treating leg ulcers and dermatoses, Dermatology 1973, 12, 68-73.

Steinegger, E. & Hänsel, R. Lehrbuch der Pharmakognosie und Phytopharmazie, Springer-Verlag: Berlin – Heidelberg – New York 1988.

Braun, H.& Frohne, D. Heilpflanzen-Lexikon für Ärzte und Apotheker, Gustav Fischer Verlag: Stuttgart, Germany 1987.

IASC, The International Aloe Science Council Certification Program.URL: http://iasc.org/certify.html 2009-05-15.Steinegger, E. & Hänsel, R. Lehrbuch der Pharmakognosie und Phytopharmazie, Springer- Verlag: Berlin – Heidelberg – New York 1988.

References

Danhof, 1987; Mendonça et al., 2009

Yongchaiyudha et al., 1996; Bunyapraphatsara et al., 1996; Duke, 1997.

Winters et al., 1981; Schmidt & Greenspoon, 1991

Wichtl, 1989; Meletis & Jacobs, 1999

W Huang and K K Leonas: Evaluating a One-bath Process for Imparting Antimicrobial Activity and Repellency to Nonwoven Surgical Gown Fabrics, Textile Research Journal, Vol 70, No 9, pp 774-782.