Anthraquinone of Pleurotus ostreatus as a bioactive and antimicrobial agent for finishing of textiles as a health care product

Abstract

Pleurotus is an edible fungus, distributed worldwide. It is known for its nutritional value and various medicinal properties. It is been the first time formulated as a bioactive in textile finishing due to its antibacterial properties. In this study, anthraquinone (AQ) is extracted from edible Pleurotus ostreatus by traditional soxhlet extraction, and the bioactive is characterized and used in textile fabric coating to check the efficiency of its antibacterial properties and finally, the efficacy of the fabric is studied. The extracted AQ is analyzed for its various structural fidelities using GCMS, FTIR, LCMS, NMR, and HPLC. This structural predicted AQ is treated with fabrics to enhance the antibacterial activity. The bleached cotton woven fabric was utilized as a textile substrate for this research. Citric acid is used as a cross-linking agent and potassium alum was used as a mordant. The mordant treated fabrics were engrossed with various concentrations of bioactive AQ extract such as 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%.for 30 min and padded separately in the presence of citric acid to sustain 5.5 pH. It was again immersed in the solution for another five minutes and the process was repeated and squeezing to get a wet pick up of 85% on the weight of the fabric. At 80 °C for 3 min the fabric was dried and restored at 110 °C for 5 min on a lab model curing chamber. This treated fabric was further evaluated for fragrance test, colour intensity, olfaction test followed by an antibacterial assay using gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. A zone of inhibition of 27.70 mm, 30 mm, 32 mm, and 33 mm was observed for 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% extracts of anthraquinone. From the analysis carried out, it was concluded that the anthraquinone extract performed as a good antibacterial agent against gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia. coli) and helped prevent bacteria and other microorganisms from attaching to the fabric surface. Hence, healthcare personnel are protected with functional clothing as well as fabrics all around the home, including socks, mattresses, baby diapers, and coverings. From the olfaction China GB method, it was concluded that the treated fabric had a peculiar smell with aromatic and herbal flavours with a good odour. Thus, it can be inferred that anthraquinone treated fabric retains the fragrance due to its better binding property. Based on the subjective studies it was noticed that this fragrance could last up to 20 washes and for more than 4 weeks. This allows the attire and textile industry to utilize fragrance-treated fabric in developing innovative and hygienic attire products in the future.