Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XX
Written by Ovidiu IORDACHE, Andreea COZEA, Elena VĂRZARU, Elena STOICA, Corneliu PLATON, Steliana RODINO, Iuliana DUMITRESCU
The aim of the research was the evaluation of antimicrobial activity of a textile fabric treated with essential oils extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) and Citrus sinensis (orange), against pathogenic strains of Aspergillus niger (IMI 45551), Candida albicans (ATCC 90028), Trichoderma viride (isolated from agricultural soil), Aspergillus flavus (isolated from agricultural soil) and Epidermophyton floccosum (CCM 8339). Plant extracts were obtained by steam distillation from rosemary vegetal mater and orange peel. GC-MS analysis, carried out in hexane and diethyl-ether, allowed identification of main compounds, with high quantities of eucalyptol, camphor and α –pinene, in rosemary oil, respectively limonene, limonene oxide, α – pinene and β-phellandrene in orange oil. A textile substrate (56% cotton/44% polyester) was treated with concentrations of 1%, 3% and 5% of each oil and antimicrobial activity was assessed against each strain. Bioassays registered various percentage reduction rates, depending on oil concentration and tested strain: on Aspergillus niger, rosemary treatment registered a maximum of 22.12%, whilst orange treatment reached 51.45%; on Candida albicans, both treatment yielded 100% reduction rates for all tested concentrations; on Trichoderma viride, textiles treated with rosemary oil reached a maximum of 76.48% reduction rates, and 100% on orange treatment; on Aspergillus flavus, maximum efficiency on rosemary treatment was of 18.3% and 60.57% on orange treated materials; on Epidermophyton floccosum dermatophyte, maximum reduction rate on rosemary treatment was of 56.99% whilst on orange treatment it registered a maximum of 92.48%. The obtained results promote textiles functionalized with rosemary and orange essential oils as efficient active antimicrobial barriers.
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