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Special Issue "Develop Antimicrobial Polymer Textiles for Medical Applications"

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2024 | Viewed by 8164

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chi-wai Kan

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Guest Editor

Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: textile; coloration; finishing; medical; healthcare; green process; safety and health management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

In recent years, people have become increasingly concerned about health and hygiene issues in their daily lives. Textiles, being an essential element in daily life, play an important role as a barrier for protecting people from the influence of microorganisms. Different antimicrobial treatments have been explored in textiles by different companies and researchers with success in the area of medical applications. However, some applications of antimicrobial textiles in medical application require use on a one-off disposable basis. In fact, the durability of the antimicrobial textiles has become a hot topic recently due to the issue of sustainability. Therefore, this Special Issue will provide an open forum to draw the attention of academic researchers and industrial experts to look into different developments of durable antimicrobial textiles for potential medical applications. Topics in this Special Issue will include articles related, but not limited, to (i) chemical antimicrobial treatment; (ii) physical antimicrobial treatment; (iii) evaluation of durability of antimicrobial textiles. Articles (not limited to) of review, full paper or communication are welcome for submission to this Special Issue.

Dr. Chi-wai Kan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Antimicrobial
Textiles
Fibers
Durable
Medical

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Aromatherapeutic and Antibacterial Properties of Cotton Materials Treated with Emulsions Containing Peppermint Essential Oil (Menthae piperitae aetheroleum)

and

Polymers 2023, 15(10), 2348; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102348 - 17 May 2023

Viewed by 866

Abstract

The objective of the work was to obtain materials with aromatherapeutic and antibacterial properties by applying emulsions based on peppermint essential oil (PEO) onto cotton fabric. For this purpose, some emulsions based on PEO incorporated in various matrices (chitosan + gelatin + beeswax; chitosan + beeswax; gelatin + beeswax and gelatin + chitosan) were prepared. Tween 80 was used as a synthetic emulsifier. The influence of the nature of matrices and of the concentration of Tween 80 on the stability of the emulsions was evaluated by the creaming indices. The materials treated with the stable emulsions were analyzed in terms of sensory activity, of the comfort characteristics, and of the gradual release of the PEO in the artificial perspiration solution. The sum of volatile components retained by samples after exposure to air was determined by GC-MS. The results regarding antibacterial activity showed that materials treated with emulsions have a good inhibitory effect on S. aureus (diameters of the inhibition zones between 53.6 and 64.0 mm) and on E. coli (diameters of the inhibition zones between 38.3 and 64.0 mm). Our data suggest that by applying peppermint-oil-based emulsions on a cotton support, aromatherapeutic patches, bandages and dressings with antibacterial properties can be obtained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Develop Antimicrobial Polymer Textiles for Medical Applications)

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Open AccessCommunication

Longitudinal Study on the Antimicrobial Performance of a Polyhexamethylene Biguanide (PHMB)-Treated Textile Fabric in a Hospital Environment

Sui-Lung Yim

Jessie Wing-Yi Cheung

and

Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15051203 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 974

Abstract

Healthcare workers in the hospital environment are at risk of infection and body fluids such as saliva, bacterial contamination, oral bacteria, etc. directly or indirectly exacerbate this issue. These bio-contaminants, when adhered to hospital linens and clothing, grow substantially, as conventional textile products provide a favorable medium for bacterial and viral growth, adding to the risk of transmitting infectious diseases in the hospital environment. Textiles with durable antimicrobial properties prevent microbial colonization on their surfaces and help contain the spread of pathogens. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial performance of PHMB-treated healthcare uniforms during prolonged usage and repetitive laundry cycles in a hospital environment. The PHMB-treated healthcare uniforms displayed non-specific antimicrobial properties and remained efficient (>99% against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae) after use for 5 months. With the fact that no antimicrobial resistance was reported towards PHMB, the presented PHMB-treated uniform may reduce infection in hospital settings by minimizing the acquisition, retention, and transmission of infectious diseases on textile products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Develop Antimicrobial Polymer Textiles for Medical Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Obtaining Medical Textiles Based on Viscose and Chitosan/Zinc Nanoparticles with Improved Antibacterial Properties by Using a Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Matea D. Korica

Ana Kramar

Zdenka Peršin Fratnik

and

Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4152; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194152 - 04 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1334

Abstract

This study aimed to obtain functional viscose textiles based on chitosan coatings with improved antibacterial properties and washing durability. For that reason, before functionalization with chitosan/zinc nanoparticles (NCH+Zn), the viscose fabric was modified by nonthermal gas plasma of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to introduce into its structure functional groups suitable for attachment of NCH+Zn. NCH+Zn were characterized by measurements of hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential and AFM. DBD-plasma-modified and NCH+Zn-functionalized fabrics were characterized by zeta potential measurements, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, the calcium acetate method (determination of content of carboxyl and aldehyde groups), SEM, breaking-strength measurements, elemental analysis, and ICP-OES. Their antibacterial activity was determined under dynamic contact conditions. In addition to SEM, the NCH+Zn distributions on viscose fabrics were also indirectly characterized by measuring their absorbent capacities before and after functionalization with NCH+Zn. Washing durability was monitored through changes in the zeta potential, chitosan and zinc content, and antibacterial activity after 1, 3, and 5 washing cycles. The obtained results showed that DBD plasma modification contributed to the simultaneous improvement of NCH+Zn sorption and antibacterial properties of the viscose fabric functionalized with NCH+Zn, and its washing durability, making it suitable for the production of high-value-added medical textiles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Develop Antimicrobial Polymer Textiles for Medical Applications)

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Open AccessCommunication

Development of Antiviral CVC (Chief Value Cotton) Fabric

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Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2601; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13162601 - 05 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2114

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 has already generated a huge societal, economic and political losses worldwide. The present study aims to investigate the antiviral activity of Poly(hexamethylene biguanide) hydrochloride (PHMB) treated fabric against COVID-19 by using the surrogate Feline coronavirus. The antiviral analysis indicated that up to 94% of coronavirus was killed after contacting the CVC fabric treated with PHMB for 2 h, which suggests that PHMB treated fabric could be used for developing protective clothing and beddings with antiviral activity against coronavirus and can play a role in fighting the transmission of COVID-19 in the high-risk places. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Develop Antimicrobial Polymer Textiles for Medical Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Antibacterial Biopolymer Gel Coating on Meshes Used for Abdominal Hernia Repair Promotes Effective Wound Repair in the Presence of Infection

Selma Benito-Martínez

Bárbara Pérez-Köhler

Marta Rodríguez

Francisca García-Moreno

Verónica Gómez-Gil

Gemma Pascual

and

Juan Manuel Bellón

Polymers 2021, 13(14), 2371; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13142371 - 20 Jul 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2172

Abstract

Prosthetic mesh infection is a devastating complication of abdominal hernia repair which impairs natural healing in the implant area, leading to increased rates of patient morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospitalization. This preclinical study was designed to assess the effects on abdominal wall tissue repair of coating meshes with a chlorhexidine or rifampicin-carboxymethylcellulose biopolymer gel in a Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infection model. Partial abdominal wall defects were created in New Zealand white rabbits (n = 20). Four study groups were established according to whether the meshes were coated or not with each of the antibacterial gels. Three groups were inoculated with S. aureus and finally repaired with lightweight polypropylene mesh. Fourteen days after surgery, implanted meshes were recovered for analysis of the gene and protein expression of collagens, macrophage phenotypes, and mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Compared to uncoated meshes, those coated with either biopolymer gel showed higher collagen 1/3 messenger RNA and collagen I protein expression, relatively increased VEGF mRNA expression, a significantly reduced macrophage response, and lower relative amounts of MMPs mRNAs. Our findings suggest that following mesh implant these coatings may help improving abdominal wall tissue repair in the presence of infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Develop Antimicrobial Polymer Textiles for Medical Applications)

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