Antimicrobial Cotton Cloth Immobilized with Chemicals Derived from Plants

Cotton cloths combined with chemicals of plant origin were prepared and their antimicrobial activities were investigated. Tannic acid and berberine, respectively, were fixed onto aminoethylated and carboxymethylated cotton cloths. Escherichia coli W3110 and Staphylococcus aureus IFO 13276 were used as the representatives of bacteria. Both aminoethylated- and carboxymethylated clothes, by themselves, showed a considerable antibacterial activity. Fixation of tannic acid and berberine onto the cloths enhanced the antibacterial activity. The cloths showed higher antibacterial activities against E. coli than against S. aureus. SEM observation after the test revealed that E. coil cells were totally collapsed on the surface of the cloth, while some S. aureus cells were observed to remain in the normal shape. The cloth fixed with tannic acid withstood 20 times of washing by acloths-washer with laundry soap.