Authors Jothi, D
Biotechnology, agar plate, microorganism, Aloe vera, textile industry, there is a good deal of demand for the fabrics having functional/speciality finishes in general but antimicrobial finishes in particular to protect human being against microbes, The application of antimicrobial textile finishes include a wide range of textile products for medical, technical, industrial, home furnishing and apparel sectors, Recent developments on Aloe vera (a naturally occurring biopolymer) have opened up new avenues in this area of research, ecofriendly natural herbal finish from A. vera extracts for various textile applications, Aloe gel-Antimicrobial agent [1 grams per litre (gpl), 2,3 ,4 and 5 gpl], Antimicrobial finish application, Antimicrobial activity assessment, Finish durability to washing ,Hohenstein modified test method challenge test, activity of aloe gel treated samples is excellent at 5 gpl for S. aureus, It is attributed that bacterial inhibition is due to the slow release of active substances from the fabric surface. The amino groups of aloe gel responsible for its excellent antimicrobial activity. In presence of slight acidity, the amino groups will be converted to positive amino group ions will react with the negatively charged protoplasm of microorganisms thus breaking the cell wall and hence destroying the microorganisms, Disturb the cell membrane through physical and Ionic phenomena, wash fastness properties of treated sample during 50 wear wash. The treated fabrics showed good wash fastness as expected. Finishing agent does not migrate off of the treated sample and destroy the bacteria coming in contact with the surface of the treated cloth. The microbes do not consume the antimicrobials, which destroy them by acting on the cell membrane , Hence finishing agents do not lose their effectiveness and will remain functional throughout the life of the fabric, antimicrobial agent is not water-soluble, it does not leach out, and it continuously inhibits the growth of bacteria in contact with the surface using barrier or blocking action, specimens treated with the solution containing 5 gpl aloe gel showed excellent antimicrobial activity. The treated sample showed high reduction rate in the number of colonies grown and a clear zone of bacteria inhibition.
