Determination of Anti-Microbial Textile Finish Using Cinnamon Bark (Dalchini) and Garcinia indica (Kokum) by Microencapsulation

The present study highlights about Eco-Friendly Anti-Microbial Textile Finish using Cinnamon Bark (Dalchini) and Garcinia indica (Kokum). Garcinia indica is a plant from mangosteen family and is commonly known as "Kokum". It can be easily found in almost all kitchens of India. There is a vast use of the fruit of Garcinia indica as remedial medicine in Indian system of medicine for treating various ailments.

The inherent properties of the textile fibres provide room for the growth of micro-organisms. There are many anti- bacterial fibres and chemicals available in the market but unfortunately, they are from synthetic base and are not eco- friendly. Consumers in India are taking the lead in encouraging firms to use clean technologies to create environmentally beneficial products. Many natural plant products, such as extracts from roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, exhibit antimicrobial characteristics. In the present study, anti-microbial finish has been imparted to cotton fabric using ethanolic and acetonic extracts of Cinnamon Bark and Garcinia indica by direct application and by microencapsulation. The ethanolic extract was prepared by using10 gms of herbal material in 100 ml of ethanol and allowed to stand for 24 hours. The acetone extract of the herbs was prepared by refluxing 40gms of each herb in 400 ml of acetone in a Soxhlet extractor. The extracts were applied by directly soaking the fabric in ethanol extract overnight and also by Microencapsulation (for acetone extracts). For microencapsulation, the herbal extract was used as the core material and Gum acacia as the wall material. The treated samples were then tested for their anti-microbial efficiency and also the wash fastness of the finish. It was observed that both the herbal extracts when applied on cotton fabric gives it an excellent anti-microbial property against both gram positive and gram- negative bacteria i.e. Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonaiae. Regarding the wash fastness of the treated samples, it was observed that the finish does not last long. The anti-microbial activity diminishes with every wash and at the end of 5th wash cycle no activity was seen against the selected microbes. However, the limitation of this herbal anti-microbial finish is that it needs to be applied on fabric that is used for disposable products or the products that requires very less washing. The direct application method of Cinnamon extract, makes the treated fabric 91.1% anti-microbial efficient against Staphylococcus aureus and 87.9% against Klebsiella pneumonaiae. Whereas on the other hand, the direct application method of Garcinia indica on the cotton fabric makes the fabric 93.3% anti- microbial efficient against Staphylococcus aureus and to be noted; no anti-microbial activity was observed against Klebsiella pneumonaiae through this method of application.

The results indicate that the treated fabric is 99.99% anti-microbial and can be used in hygiene products where less washing is required like pillows, curtains, disposable bandages and quilts.