title: Bactericidal activities of woven cotton and nonwoven polypropylene fabrics coated with hydroxyapatite-binding silver/titanium dioxide ceramic nanocomposite "Earth-plus".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacteria from the hospital environment, including linens and curtains, are often responsible for hospital-associated infections. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bactericidal effects of fabrics coated with the hydroxyapatite-binding silver/titanium dioxide ceramic nanocomposite "Earth-plus".
  
  
  METHODS
  Bactericidal activities of woven and nonwoven fabrics coated with Earth-plus were investigated by the time-kill curve method using nine bacterial strains, including three Staphylococcus aureus, three Escherichia coli, and three Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The numbers of viable S. aureus and E. coli cells on both fabrics coated with Earth-plus decreased to below 2 log(10) colony-forming units/mL in six hours and reached the detection limit in 18 hours. Viable cell counts of P. aeruginosa on both fabrics coated with Earth-plus could not be detected after 3-6 hours. Viable cells on woven fabrics showed a more rapid decline than those on nonwoven fabrics. Bacterial cell counts of the nine strains on fabrics without Earth-plus failed to decrease even after 18 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Woven cotton and nonwoven polypropylene fabrics were shown to have excellent antibacterial potential. The woven fabric was more bactericidal than the nonwoven fabric.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shinshu University Hospital, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kasuga
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Eiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.forename: Kozue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oana
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ogiwara
authors.forename: Dai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yamaki
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurada
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Honda
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002516:Ceramics; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D017886:Durapatite; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D050997:Nanomedicine; D011126:Polypropylenes; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects; D012834:Silver; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013784:Textiles / Q000382:microbiology*; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011126:Polypropylenes; C009495:titanium dioxide; D012834:Silver; D017886:Durapatite; D014025:Titanium