Development of antimicrobial cotton fabrics by immobilized enzyme

Project leaders

Francesco Secundo, Ali Mohamed Elshafei Ali

Agreement

EGITTO - ASRT - Academy of Scientific Research and Technology

Call

CNR/ASRT 2011-2012

Department

Molecular Design

Thematic area

Chemical sciences and materials technology

Status of the project

New

Research proposal

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Textiles have always played a central role in the evolution of human culture by being at the forefront of both technological and artistic development.
Microorganisms cause problems with textile raw materials and processing chemicals (i.e. dyes), wet processes in the mills, roll or bulk goods in storage, finished goods in storage and transport, and goods as used by the consumers. Obnoxious smell form the inner garments such as socks, spread of diseases, staining and degradation of textiles are some of the detrimental effects of bad microbes. The consumers are now increasingly aware of the hygienic life style and there is a necessity and expectation for a wide range of textile products finished with antimicrobial properties. Antimicrobial textile products continue to increase in popularity as demand for fresh smelling, skin friendly, high performance fabrics goes on. Modern performance fabrics are required in many specialist applications, sports textile is one example. For these applications fabrics have to exhibit high degrees of performance in terms of longevity and durability, and also antimicrobial properties. These properties can be improved as well as increasing the comfort and hygiene factor making them more pleasant to wear. Odour can be neutralized and skin problems caused by microbial growth reduced thus emphasizing the hygienics nature of the treated product.
STATE OF ART
At the present antimicrobial finishing methodologies are based on application of antimicrobial agents to the textile substrates by exhaust, pad-dry-cure, coating, spray and foam techniques. The substances can also be applied by directly adding into the fibre spinning dope. It is claimed that the commercial agents can be applied online during the dyeing and finishing operations.
Antimicrobials are of two types:
Leaching type (conventional antimicrobials) and Non-leaching type
Various methods for improving the durability of the finish include:
• Insolubilisation of the active substances in/on the fibre
• Treatement of the fibre with resin, condensates or cross linking agents
• Micro encapsulation of the antimicrobial agents with the fibre matrix
• Coating the fibre surface
• Chemical modification of the fibre by covalent bond formation
• Use of graft polymers, homo polymers and/or co polymerization on to the fibre.
 
There are numerous chemical compounds that can be used as antimicrobial agents. Among these oxidizing agents (aldehydes, halogens and proxy compounds), coagulants (i.e., alcohols irreversibly denature the protein structures), quaternary ammonium compounds, complexing metallic compounds (based on metals like cadmium, silver, copper and mercury), chitosan, natural herbal products.
Among natural products some enzymes are also interesting as antimicrobial agents. In fact, they can catalyse the destruction of the microorganims structures (i.e., cell walls by lysozyme) and/or can chemically alter (degrade) molecules that could favour the adsorption of the microbes on the fabric surface.
Incorporation of enzymes into fabrics is an alternative approach to inhibit adhesion of microrganisms [1]. Because of their proteinaceous nature, enzymes are considered to be environmentally safe. Although microorganisms use diverse adhesives to adhere to a substratum, laboratory studies have shown that commercial proteases reduce the attachment strength of microorganism to surfaces and to fabrics [2-5].  Thus, the strategies for the present proposed study will be:

the preparation of cotton fabrics and/or fibres on which commercially available enzymes (laccases, hydrolases and glucose oxidase) are covalently grafted or entrapped. The enzyme grafting will be explored also by considering the various methodologies adopted for the treatment of cotton fabric with conventional antimicrobal agents (chemical products)
the evaluation of  microbial growth  of  different microorganisms on the  cotton fabrics/fibres modified with enzymes

 
REFERENCES
 
1.      Olsen, S.M., Pedersen, L.T., Laursen, M.H., Kiil, S., Dam-Johansen, K., Enzyme-based antifouling coatings: a review, Biofouling, 23(5): 369-383
2.      Pettitt, M.E., Henry, S.L., Callow, M.E., Callow, J.A., Clare, A.S., 2004, Activity of commercial enzymes on settlement and adhesion of Cypris larvae of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite, spores of the green alga Ulva linza, and the Diatom Navicula perminuta, Biofouling, 20(6): 299-311.
3.      Aldred, N., Phang, I, Y., Conlan, S. L., Clare, A.S., Vancso, 2008, The effects of a serine protease, Alcalase, on the adhesives of barnacle cyprids (Balanus amphitrite), Biofouling, 24(2): 97-107.
4.      Caro, A., Humblot, V., Methivier, C., Minier, M., Salmain, M., Pradier, C-M., 2009, Grafting of Lysozyme and/or Poly(ethylene glycol) to Prevent Biofilm Growth on Stainless Steel Surfaces, Journal of Physical Chemistry, 113: 2101-2109
5. N.A. Ibrahim; M. Gouda; A. M. Elshafei and O.M. Abdel-Fatah, 2007, Antimicrobial activity of cotton fabrics containing immobilized enzymes. Journal ofApplied Polymer Science, 104, 1754-1761.

Research goals

The main target of the project is assessing potential of enzymes as laccases and/or hydrolases  (in combination or not with specific chemical compounds) for  inhibition of microbial growth on cotton fabrics.This project aims also to develop and/or improve methods useful to prepare fabrics with such antimicrobial properties. The possibility to employ enzymes (especially proteases, lysozymes and laccases)  can be a complementary  technique to that based on the use of  antimicrobial chemical compounds and it could allow a synergic action of different antimicrobial methods.
The test of  antimicrobial activity will be performed by the Egyptian partners using well characterized qualitative (AATCC 147) and quantitative (AATCC 100) methods.
Particularly, the achievement of the scope will be articulated in the described objectives as below explained;
 

Development of procedures to link enzymes to cotton fabrics or fibres (covalent and non-covalent linkages, i.e. by entrapping the enzyme in the fibres)
Estimation of enzyme coating efficiency on the test fabrics in terms of leaching, stability and activity (with or without other antimicrobial agents)
Quantitative and qualitative assessment of anti-microbial activity of fabric (or fibres) coatings

 
The project will allow to join knowledge of methodologies of enzyme immobilization and microbiology tests applied to cotton fabric and takes advantage of the integrated expertise of the two groups and their complementary facilities.

Last update: 19/06/2025