Assessment of Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, and Colorimetric Properties of Cotton and Woolen Yarns Dyed with Some Plants Extracts

Abstract

Nowadays according to more attention to natural products, the development of research on this issue seems necessary. Many plants are known around the world to have antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. By using those plant compounds, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and fungal properties can be created in textiles. Textiles are one of the unavoidable requirements that all human beings use abundantly in their lives. In the natural dyeing process, the use of some medicinal plant compounds resulted in antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. In this study, medicinal plants such as thyme, clove, marjoram, lavender, wormwood, and espand were studied for antibacterial and antimicrobial properties on textiles. The antibacterial property of mordanted and dyed wool & cotton yarns were tested against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive), and Candida albicans microbe for cotton. The range of colour developed on dyed materials was evaluated in terms of (L*, a*, b*) CIE LAB coordinates and the dye absorption concentration on the yarns was studied by using K/S values. Also, fastness tests on dyed samples for light and washing fastness were carried out. The experimental results showed that the examined plants, in addition to creating antimicrobial and antibacterial properties on wool and cotton yarns, can be used as a dye to produce a durable yellow shade. The dyeing fastness of applied dyes was acceptable. Aloe vera, which has a polyphenolic structure, was used to increase dyeing fastness and durability of antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The property was created to maintain its durability for several washed cycles.