Multifunction medical printing of cotton by Egyptian eco-friendly seaweeds using their synergistic interaction of polyphenolics: in-vitro and computational drug approach

The medical fabric industry is fast-growing, and more is needed about using algae-derived colors. Although marine algae are ubiquitous in aquatic habitats, they have only recently been recognized as a valuable source of bioactive chemicals and vibrant colors, including phenolic compounds with powerful antibacterial properties. In this study, an extract of Padina pavonica (P. pavonia) and Ulva lactuca (U. lactuca) is used as stable, functional colorants in an ethanol-acetone-water (3:2:1) combination to produce a one-step dye printing and multifunctional finishing process of cotton textiles. The phenolic components of the extracts were separated using HPLC analysis. The printing efficacy under different concentrations of algal extracts (3%, 7%, and 10%) was examined by color measurements and fastness properties against washing, rubbing, and light exposure. A 10% concentration of the two algal extracts were tested for antibacterial activity and UV protection. A scanning electron microscope and elemental analyses were used to identify surface modifications on cotton textiles. During the HPLC analysis, eight polyphenolic components were detected in the P. pavonica extract and fourteen polyphenolics in the U. lactuca extract. The present study revealed that the 10% concentrations provided the best overall values for print quality (K/S), color accuracy (L*, a*, b*), and stability. The SEM analysis demonstrated that treated and untreated textiles had different surface forms (SEM). It is astonishing to note that even after five items of washing, the printed samples of P. pavonica and U. lactuca still demonstrated excellent antibacterial properties and modest UV protection.