title: Characterisation and functional properties of antimicrobial bio-barriers formed by natural fibres.
abstract: Antimicrobial bio-barriers formed on cotton (CO), silk (SE), and woollen (WO) fabrics were prepared by the application of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride (Si-QAC) at 11 concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 20% using an exhaustion method. The presence of the Si-QAC coating on the treated fabric samples was detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The bromophenol blue reagent was used to determine the concentration of quaternary ammonium groups in the coating. The antimicrobial activity of the coated fibres against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus), fungi (Aspergillus niger and Chaetomium globosum), and soil microflora was assessed using standard microbiological methods. The antimicrobial protection of the fibres increased with increases in the applied concentration of Si-QAC. The fibre type strongly influenced the antimicrobial activity of Si-QAC. Si-QAC was most effective for CO fibres, less effective for WO fibres, and least effective for SE fibres, suggesting that Si-QAC is less accessible for interactions with microorganisms when applied to protein fibres than to cellulose. Although Si-QAC reduced the microbial growth, it did not significantly hinder the biodegradability or sustainability of the coated fibres when exposed to soil microflora. The extent of rotting was more influenced by the morphological and chemical properties of the fibres than by the presence of Si-QAC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Textiles, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Brigita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tomšič
authors.affiliation: Ptuj Regional Museum, Muzejski trg 1, 2250 Ptuj, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ilec
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Metka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Žerjav
authors.affiliation: Department of Textiles, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Aleš
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hladnik
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simončič
authors.affiliation: Department of Textiles, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: barbara.simoncic@ntf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Simončič
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
keywords: Alkoxysilane; Antimicrobial activity; Biodegradation; Influence of concentration; Influence of fibre type; Quaternary ammonium group