Biological evaluation of antimicrobial treated textiles

Textiles provide a suitable environment for the growth of microorganisms, including fungi and bacteria. Their presence can have detrimental effects on both the fabric and the user. These effects may include unpleasant odors, fabric discoloration, a higher risk of contamination, and a decline in the material's mechanical strength. The transmission of infections through textiles can be mitigated by using antimicrobial fabrics, which either eliminate pathogens on contact or inhibit their reproduction before they spread to another surface or individual. Antimicrobial textiles are created by applying antimicrobial agents to textile substrates or by utilizing fibers that naturally possess antimicrobial properties. This paper is mainly focused on the biological evaluation of antimicrobial treated textiles with doxycycline and collagen hydrolysate. The textile structures were obtained from different fibers such as polyester (PES), cotton/elastane (CO/EL) and cotton/polyester (CO/PES). The antibacterial treatment was carried out by applying the obtained solution on the textile structures using the padding method. The characterization of the treated textiles includes the release profile of active compound, the evaluation of antibacterial activity on two bacterial strains Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), as well as the assessment of cell viability by MTS and LDH assays. The release kinetics of doxycycline from the textile structures showed a burst release in the first 30 minutes followed by a slow and sustained release until the end of the experiment. The samples presented good results in terms of antimicrobial activity on both bacterial strains, the effect being classified as satisfactory. The viability of HUVEC cells is places between 90.89-95.99%, while the necrosis has low values between 4.01-9.11% suggesting that the antibacterial treated textiles can be considered non-cytotoxic. The obtained results confirm that the textile structures treated with doxycyline and collagen hydrolysate can be used as functional antibacterial textiles in direct contact with human skin.