Development of antibacterial and ultraviolet protective clothing by the application of medicinal plants extract

Abstract

The increasing health concern has enhanced the utilization of technical products in every field of life from common household items to fabrics. Protection against UV is one of the main concerns of the modern world due to the potential health risk when skin is exposed to UV. Various chemicals have been utilized to enhance the UV protection of fabrics, but they are not green. The purpose of this research is to examine the properties of UV protective fabrics developed by using extract of different plants. Ethanol extract of dried leaves and seeds of three medicinal plants named Azadiarchta indica, Amaranthus viridis and Ricinus communis were applied on fabric to enhance the antimicrobial and UV blocking properties of the treated fabric as these plants are cheap and abundant in Pakistan. Azadiarchta indica and Amaranthus viridis showed good antibacterial and UV blocking. On the other hand, the extract of Ricinus communis showed excellent UV blocking but antibacterial effect was not good.