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DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NATURAL HERBAL EXTRACTS

FOR NEEDLE PUNCHED NONWOVEN FACEMASK

K.Rafiq

Department of Textile Technology, PSG Polytechnic College, Peelamedu, Coimbatore – 641 004

Email: texrafiq@gmail.com

D .Gopalakrishnan – PG Schalor

Department of Textile Chemistry, SSM College of Engineering, Komarapalayam – 638 183

Email: dgk.psgtech@gmail.com

The main objective of the study the functional characteristics of face mask produced by

multi layered non-woven fabrics. The nonwoven fabric is good absorbent & breathable fabric. It

plays vital role in the personal care & health care products. The nonwoven fabrics are produced

by six different layered combinations such as cotton / polyester, cotton / polypropylene, bamboo

/ polyester, bamboo / polypropylene, cotton / polyester / polypropylene, and bamboo / polyester /

polypropylene using needled punching technique. These fabrics are coated with extracted natural

herbs such as SolanumTrilobatum, Andrographis Paniculata, Adhatoda Vasica, Vitex Negundo

and Glycyrrhiza Glabra. The extractions of herbals are carried with water and different solvents

such as methanol, ethanol, and acetone.

PLANT EXTRACTION

Extraction of the above plants was obtained from various parts of the plants by using

various solvents. They are listed below.

Table 5.3 Plant extraction details

Name of the plants Parts used Solvent

Solanum Trilobatum Leaves Methanol,

Ethanol,

Acetone,

Aqueous

Andrographis Paniculata Leaves

Adhatoda Vasica Leaves

Vitex Negundo Leaves

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Leaves

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Materials Used

Fibres - Cotton, Bamboo, Micro denier polyester, Polypropylene.

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Herbs - Solanum trilobatum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitex Negundo,

Adhatoda Vasica, Andrographis Paniculata.

Fabric - The nonwoven fabrics are produced by six different layered combinations

i) Cotton / polyester.

ii) Cotton / polypropylene.

iii)Bamboo / polyester.

iv)Bamboo / polypropylene.

v) Cotton / polyester / polypropylene.

vi)Bamboo / polyester / polypropylene

FIBRE PROPERTIES

Table. Material details

Cotton: MCU 5

2.5 % SL U.R MIC STRENGTH ELONGATION

28.37 45.5 3.36 22.2 6.0

Fibres Denier Tenacity (g/den) Elongation

Bamboo 1.19 2.20 14.56

Micro denier polyester 0.85 6.05 20.02

Polypropylene 2.74 5.40 23.32

HERBS IDENTIFICATION

Table. Identified herbs for treatment

S. NO BOTANICAL NAME PLANT PRODUCTS

1 Solanum trilobatum, Purple Fruited Pea Eggplant

2 Glycyrrhiza glabra, licorice

3 Vitex Negundo, Verbenaceae

4 Adhatoda Vasica, Vasicinone leaves

5 Andrographis Paniculata. swertia chirata leaves

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METHODOLOGY

Web formation

Needle Punching

Physical Testing ( Thermal Conductivity,Wicking, Water vapour permeability)

Selection of Herbs

Extraction of Herbs

Pad - dry – cure method Microencapsulation method

Air permeability

Analysis of antimicrobial activity

Develops the natural herbal face mask

PHYSICAL TESTINGS

The following physical properties were analyzed before fabric treatment.

GSM

Air Permeability

GSM Report

Table. GSM (Untreated Samples)

Sl.No Material Type GSM

1. Cotton (100%) 70

2 Polyester ( 100 % ) 65

3. Bamboo ( 100 % ) 91

4. PP( 100 % ) 88

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Fig. GSM (Untreated Samples)

Air Permeability Report (ASTM D737)

The air permeability of the fabric depends on the shape and value of the pores and inter –

thread channels, which are dependent on the structural parameters of the fabric.

Table. Result of air permeability (Existing Masks)

Company No. of Ply ResistanceAir Permeability

(cm3 /cm2 / s)

Flora 2 0.09 138.38

Flora 3 0.49 25.42

KG Masks 3 0.32 38.92

Fig. Result of Air Permeability (Existing Masks)

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Table. Result of air permeability (Untreated Samples)

S. NO Fabric Particulars Cm3 / Cm2/ Sec

1 Cotton (100 % ) 155.69

2 Polyester ( 100 % ) 155.69

3 Bamboo ( 100 % ) 113.23

4 PP ( 100 % ) 249.00

5 Cotton / Polyester 67.29

6 Bamboo / Polyester 69.17

7 Cotton / PP 92.22

8 Bamboo / PP 81.37

9 Cotton / Polyester / PP 51.88

10 Bamboo / Polyester / PP 47.89

Fig. Result of air permeability (Untreated Samples)

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ANTIMICROBIAL TEST

Microbes are the tiniest creatures not seen by the naked eyes. They include a variety of

micro organisms like bacteria, fungi, algae and viruses. Bacteria are uni cellular organisms which

grow very rapidly under warmth and moisture. Further, subdivisions in the bacteria family are

gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative (E – coli), spore bearing (or) non spore

bearing type. Some specific type of bacteria is pathogenic and cause cross infection.

Fungi molds (or) mildew are complex organisms with slow growth rate. They stain the

fabric and deteriorate the performance properties of the fabric. Fungi are active at a pH level of

6.5. Algae are typical micro organisms which are either fungal (or) bacterial. Algae require

continuous sources of water and sunlight to grow and develop darker stains on the fabric. Algae

are active in the pH range of 7.0 to 8.0.

Dust mites are eight legged creatures and occupy the household textiles such as blankets,

bed linen, pillows, mattresses and carpets. The dust mites feed on human skin cells and liberated

waste products can cause allergic reactions and respiratory disorders.

Antimicrobial Activity Evaluation Methods

Various test procedure have been used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the

antibacterial activity. Some of the tests used are:

Agar diffusion test

Challenge test (Quantitative)

Agar diffusion test is a preliminary test to detect the diffusive antimicrobial finish. It is

not suitable for non diffusive finishes and textile materials other than fabrics. Objective

evaluation of the antimicrobial activity is arrived at by making use of the challenge test where in

which the difference between the actual bacterial count of the treated and antimicrobial finishes.

The application of the finish is now extended to textiles used for outdoor, healthcare sector, sports

and leisure. Novel technologies in antimicrobial finishing are successfully employed in nonwoven

sector especially in medical textiles.

Agar Diffusion Evaluation Method

Anti microbial activity of SolanumTrilobatum, Andrographis Paniculata, Adhatoda

Vasica, Vitex Negundo and Glycyrrhiza Glabra against staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) and

Escherichia coli (E.coli). In order to test the antimicrobial efficacy of SolanumTrilobatum,

Andrographis Paniculata, Adhatoda Vasica, Vitex Negundo and Glycyrrhiza Glabra against the

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bacterial isolates Agar diffusion test was done and the results are tabulated as follows.

Agar used : AATCC Bacteriostasis agar

Temperature : 37ºC

Time : 24 – 48 hours

Control sample size : 19mm in diameter (circular swatch)

Procedure

AATCC bacteriostatis Agar was prepared. Sterilized in autoclave for 121ºC at 15 psi

pressure for 20 min. Agar was poured in Petri plates and allowed to solidity; lawn cultures of

S.aureus E.coli were done using sterile swabs.Treated samples and controlled samples were

placed in lawn culture plates and allowed to incubate at 37ºC for 24 – 48 hours. After incubation

period, zone of inhibition was measured using zone scale and results were tabulated. The

following pictures show the inhibition zone levels for directly applied fabric.

Antimicrobial activity determination

Identification and preservation of plant material

The taxonomic identities of this plant were determined. Plant parts were washed with 70%

alcohol and then rinsed with sterilized distilled water, air-dried and stored in airtight bottles at

4ºc for further use. In the present work, SolanumTrilobatum, Andrographis Paniculata, Adhatoda

Vasica, Vitex Negundo and Glycyrrhiza Glabra plant were screened for potential antibacterial

activity.

Preparation of extracts

Clean dry plant samples collected in a cotton bags. The materials were grinded to fine

powder with the help of the mixer grinder. Then these powdered materials used for the

preparation of aqueous, ethanol, and acetone, and extracts.

Fig. Plant extraction

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Fig. Flow chart of Plant extraction

Preparation of ethanol extract

5 gm of powdered materials mixed with 50 ml of ethanol and kept on rotary shaker for 24 hours

at 30ºc. Thereafter, it was filtered with the help of Whitman no: 1 filter paper. Then the

supernatant was collected and stored at 4ºc for future use.

( a ) ( b ) ( c )

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Fig (a) Adhatoda Vasica and SolanumTrilobatum, (b) Glycyrrhiza Glabra and

Andrographis Paniculata, (c) Vitex Negundo against staphylococcus aureus.

( a ) ( b ) ( c )

Fig. (a) Adhatoda Vasica and SolanumTrilobatum, (b) Glycyrrhiza Glabra and

Andrographis Paniculata, (c) Vitex Negundo against E.coli.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial activity in ethanol

Test samples showed better activity against the gram positive bacterium S.aureus when compare

to the gram negative E.Coli. Generally E.coli found to possess rigid cell wall and resistant

against commercially available antibiotics. The zones of inhibition value of different herbs are

against S.aureus bacteria and E.coli bacteria are shown in the table.

Table. Result of antimicrobial activity in ethanol

S. No HerbsZone of Inhibition in mm

Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli

1 Solanum trilobatum, 21 NA

2 Andrographis Paniculata 22 NA

3 Adhatoda Vasica, NA NA

4 Vitex Negundo. NA NA

5 Glycyrrhiza glabra, NA NA

Preparation of aqueous extract

5 gm of powdered materials mixed with 50 ml of sterile distilled water and kept on rotary shaker

for 24 hours at 30ºc. Thereafter, it was filtered with the help of Whitman no: 1 filter paper. Then

the supernatant was collected and stored at 4ºc for future use.

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( a ) ( b )

Fig. Adhatoda Vasica, SolanumTrilobatum, Glycyrrhiza Glabra, Andrographis

Paniculata and Vitex Negundo against (a) Staphylococcus aureus and (b) E.coli.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial activity in aqueous

Test samples showed better activity against the gram positive bacterium S.aureus when

compare to the gram negative E.Coli. Generally E.coli found to possess rigid cell wall and

resistant against commercially available antibiotics. The zones of inhibition value of different

herbs are against S.aureus bacteria and E.coli bacteria are shown in the table.

Table.Result of antimicrobial activity in aqueous

S. No HerbsZone of Inhibition in mm

Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli

1 Solanum trilobatum, 39 NA 2 Andrographis Paniculata 41 4 3 Adhatoda Vasica, 6 NA 4 Vitex Negundo. 10 NA 5 Glycyrrhiza glabra, NA NA

CONCLUSION

The herbal extracts taken from such as SolanumTrilobatum, Andrographis Paniculata, Adhatoda

Vasica, Vitex Negundo and Glycyrrhiza Glabra has been done successfully by ethanol, acetone,

and aqueous extracting techniques. Using that herbal extracts followed by its application onto

fabric using pad – dry – cure method. It is found that they exhibit potential for antimicrobial

activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia Coli in clearly measurable terms. The

Agar Diffusion test results shows that the aqueous extracted SolanumTrilobatum and

Andrographis Paniculata herbals have better antimicrobial activity against the Staphylococcus

aureus and Escherichia Coli. Also achieved good test results in Air Permeability on nonwoven

fabric levels.