article · AATCC Journal of Research
Textiles with antimicrobial functionality are increasingly relevant for infection control, medical barrier materials, personal hygiene items, and household goods. Cotton fabrics are especially valued for non-implantable hygiene products like gauze, wound dressings, bandages, and sanitary napkins because of their comfort, absorbency, and durability. Growing global interest in sustainable options has directed research toward natural antimicrobial agents derived from botanical extracts. Plants including neem, clove, eucalyptus, and aloe vera contain bioactive compounds capable of combating both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These natural extracts are being applied as finishing agents during textile processing to impart antimicrobial properties without relying on synthetic chemicals. The current research landscape examines how these plant-derived substances can be effectively integrated into textile finishing to enhance healthcare and hygiene materials.
Hospital environments and personal hygiene products require effective infection control. Using plant extracts like clove, neem, and eucalyptus offers an eco-friendly approach to treating fabrics, providing antibacterial protection on everyday items such as bandages and sanitary products without relying entirely on synthetic antimicrobial chemicals.
This work informs manufacturers of medical textiles, wound dressings, and hygiene products seeking sustainable finishing methods. Because the review synthesises existing studies rather than presenting a newly tested commercial formulation, the technology represents early-stage to applied research that requires further standardisation before routine industrial manufacturing.
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Antimicrobial textiles with improved functionality have a wide range of applications, including health and hygiene products, particularly garments worn next to the skin, and a number of medical applications, including infection control and barrier materials. Furthermore, these textiles are used in household materials, air filters, food packaging, athletic wear, storage, ventilation, and water purification systems. Cotton-based materials are hygienic and are commonly used in non-implantable hygiene medical textile products such as lint, gauze, bandages, wound dressing, and sanitary napkins. In terms of absorbency, comfort, and durability, non-implantable cotton fabric materials outperform standard clothing materials. Several studies show that depending on the type of components present in the plant extract, several plant extracts can be effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. As a result, research into eco-friendly antimicrobial agents and their application on various textile products is gaining worldwide attention. Plants such as neem, eucalyptus, aloe vera, and clove contain natural antimicrobial compounds. Extracts of neem, eucalyptus, aloe vera, and clove are used in textile finishing. These bioactive substances could be used to impart antimicrobial properties to textiles for the development of health care and hygiene products. This review focuses on research into various natural antimicrobial agents derived from plant extracts and their applications as textile finishing agents for healthcare and hygiene applications.
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DOI: 10.1177/24723444231215444
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