The document presents a study on developing antimicrobial cotton fabric treated with Aloe Vera gel. Samples were treated with solutions containing different concentrations of Aloe Vera gel and water. Testing using the parallel streak method showed that samples treated with 60% and 100% Aloe Vera gel inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, whereas untreated fabric and fabric treated with 40% gel did not. This indicates that cotton fabric treated with high concentrations of Aloe Vera gel has antimicrobial properties and can be used for medical textiles.

2. Presentation on
Antimicrobial finish on bleached cotton fabric with Aloe
Vera
Course Title: Project Work
Course No.: WPE 445
Supervised by
Dr. Mohammad Forhad Hossain
Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Wet Process Engineering
Bangladesh University of Textiles.

3. Abstract
Biotechnology is a frontier area in the field of science & technology having significant
commercial applications in healthcare, agriculture, textile & service sectors. There is a
good deal of demand for the fabrics having functional/specialty finishes in general
antimicrobial finishes in particular to protect human being against microbes. The
application of antimicrobial textile finishes includes a wide range of textile products for
medical, technical and apparel sectors. Recent developments on aloe Vera have opened up
new avenues in this area of research .
Keywords: Aloe Vera, Cotton, Antimicrobial, Parallel streak method.

4. Aim and Objectives
The aim of the project is to develop a sample which is not affected by microbes.
To extract aloe Vera gel from aloe Vera leaves and treat fabric with the gel.
When fabric is worn next to skin, infestation by microbes causes cross infection
by pathogens and development odours. The performance properties of cotton
fabric are lost as a result of microbial attack. Antimicrobial fabric can be
beneficial to a wide variety of people. Antimicrobial agent destroys the growth of
micro-organisms and their negative effects of odour, staining, and deterioration.
Moreover, anti-microbial agents are used on fabric to control bacteria, fungi,
mould, mildew and algae.

5. Some harmful species of the bacteria's are listed in Table below:
Bacteria
Gram positive bacteria
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Corynebacterium
Gram negative bacteria
Escherichia coli
Proteus vulgaris

6. Aloe Barbadensis Miller (Aloe Vera) plant is found to be more useful to the
humankind because of the medicinal properties it possess. It is cultivated in the
regions like India, South Africa, America, Mexico and other parts of the world. The
aloe plant being a cactus plant, is about 95 % water, with an average pH of 4.5. The
remaining solid material contains over 75 different ingredients including vitamins,
minerals, enzymes, sugars, anthraquinones or phenolic compounds, lignin,
saponins, sterols, amino acids and salicylic acid. The bitter yellow juice derived
from Aloe Vera leaves are used to make Aloe juice and it can also be used as
laxative. Aloe Vera plants are well known for their medicinal and healing properties
from centuries. It is extensively used for wound healings, psoriasis, skin injury and
diabetes.
Composition of Aloe Vera

7. Materials
Aloe Vera, bleached cotton fabric, knife, beaker, water.
Methodology
Methods
For sample preparation: Pad-dry-cure method.
For testing of the effect of microbes on treated sample: Parallel streak
method.
Collection of Sample
The leaves of Aloe Vera plants were collected from the market, Colony Market, Tejgaon,
Dhaka-1208.100% Bleached Cotton Fabric is collected from Zaber and Zobair group.

8. Extraction by Hand
 First, cut Aloe Vera leaf from the plant
 Washing the Aloe Vera leaf to remove the dirt.
 Massaging the solid gel to Change into liquid gel using our hands.
Extracting the Aloe gel-using knife from inner parts of the leaf.

9. Treatment of Cotton Fabric with Aloe Vera Gel
The Aloe Vera finishing on cotton fabric in three different concentrations such as the aloe gel: water 40:60,
60:40 and 100%) are done in the first case 49 gram of aloe gel is used with 30 ml of water. In the second
case about 37.25 gram of aloe gel is mixed with 22.50 ml of water. In the third case about 50 ml of aloe gel
is used. In each case samples are used and it is coated by using padding mangle and it is finally dried.
preparation of woven fabric for
padding with solution
Fabric is being treated into solution

10. Treated fabric Padding is done
Sample is being prepared for test.

11. Determination of Antimicrobial Activity
Test Organisms
•Test bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus
•Staphylococcus aureus, American Type Culture Collection No. 6538. Gram positive organism.
•Klebsiella pneumoniae, American Type Culture Collection No. 4352. Gram negative organism.
•Other suitable species can also be used depending on the intended end-use of the test sample.
•Whenever possible, test the activity of the culture to be used against a standard control specimen
(a positive control) with known antibacterial activity.
•To determine whether the antibacterial activity is due to the antibacterial agent, test a specimen of
the same material treated in exactly the same way with whatever other finishing agents were used,
but without the antibacterial agent. Many standard textile finishing chemicals, especially crease
resistant and permanent press reagents, will often give strong antibacterial activity even after many
washes.
Antimicrobial Activity Assessment of Textile Materials: Parallel Streak Method

12. a) Suitable broth/agar media are Nutrient, Trypticase Soy and Brain-Heart Infusion.
i. Nutrient Broth:
Peptone (Bacto-pepton) 5 g
Beef extract 3 g
Distilled water to 1000 mL
b) Heat to a boil to disperse ingredients. Adjust to pH 6.8 ± 0.1 with 1N NaOH solution. (This is not
necessary if prepared, dehydrated medium is used.)
c) Dispense in 10.0 ± 0.5 mL amounts in conventional bacteriological culture tubes (i.e., 125 × 17 mm).
Plug and sterilize at 103 kPa (15 psi) for 15 minutes.
d) Nutrient agar (see 13.4). Add 1.5% bacteriological agar to nutrient (or appropriate) broth. Heat to
boiling. Check pH and adjust to (a) ± 0.1 using NaOH solution if necessary. Dispense in 15.0 ± 0.5 mL
amounts in conventional bacteriological culture tubes, plug, and sterilize at 103 kPa (15 psi) for 15 min.
(May be sterilized in 1,000 mL borosilicate glass flasks and petri dishes poured from this).
Culture Medium

13. Procedure
• Dispense sterilized nutrient (or appropriate medium) agar [cooled to 47 ± 2°C (117 ± 4°F)] by pouring 15 ± 2 mL
into each standard (15 × 100 mm) flat bottomed petri dish. Allow agar to gel firmly before inoculating.
• Prepare inoculum by transferring 1.0 ± 0.1 mL of a 24 h broth culture into 9.0 ± 0.1 mL of sterile distilled water
contained in a test tube or small flask. Mix well using appropriate agitation.
• Using a 4 mm inoculating loop, load one loop ful of the diluted inoculum and transfer to the surface of the sterile
agar plate by making five streaks approximately 60 mm in length, spaced 10 mm apart covering the central area of a
standard petri dish (see 10.1) without refilling the loop. Take care not to break the surface of the agar while making
the streaks.
• Gently press the test specimen transversely across the five inoculum streaks to ensure intimate contact with the agar
surface. This may be accomplished more easily by pressing the specimen to the agar surface with a biological section
lifter or with a spatula which has been sterilized by flaming and then air cooled immediately before use.
• If the specimen curls, preventing intimate contact with the inoculated surface, place sterile glass slides on the ends
of the specimen to hold it in place. 10.6 Incubate at 37 ± 2°C (99 ± 4°F) for 18-24 h.

14. Examine the incubated plates for interruption of growth along the streaks of inoculum beneath
the specimen and for a clear zone of inhibition beyond its edge. The average width of a zone
of inhibition along a streak on either side of the test specimen may be calculated using the
following equation:
W = (T – D)/2
Where:
W = width of clear zone of inhibition in mm
T = total diameter of test specimen and clear zone in mm
D = diameter of the test specimen in mm
Evaluation

15. Result and Discussion
In order to evaluate the antimicrobial performance for treated cotton fabric, the
assessment tests were carried out according to Parallel Streak Method.
We took four types of samples ( sample treated by a solution containing only
100% Aloe vera gel, sample treated by a solution containing 60% Aloe vera gel
with 40% water, sample treated by a solution containing 60% Aloe vera gel with
60% water and untreated sample) for test. While testing the samples were set
against selected pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus). After the ending of the test
we found that:

16.  In untreated
sample, growth
of S.aureus was
maximum. For
this reason
untreated any
bleached woven
fabric can not
easily protect
the activity of
S. aureus. So it
has no
antimicrobial
activity.
Growth of S.aureus in untreated sample

17.  In sample which is treated by a solution
containing only 40% Aloe vera gel, growth of
S.aureus was less. So 40% Aloe vera treated
any bleached woven fabric can not easily
protect the activity of S. aureus.
Growth of S,aureus in sample which is treated by a
solution containing only 40% Aloe vera gel
Close view of sample which is treated by a solution
containing only 40% Aloe vera gel

18.  In sample which is treated by a solution containing only 60% Aloe vera gel, there was no
growth of S. aureus. So it can be said that 60% Aloe vera treated any bleached woven
fabric can protect the activity of S. aureus and can also be used as medical textiles because
it can show antimicrobial activity.
Growth of S,aureus in sample which is treated by a
solution containing only 60% Aloe vera gel
Close view of sample which is treated by a solution
containing only 60% Aloe vera gel

19. Growth of S,aureus in sample which is treated by a
solution containing only 100% Aloe vera gel
Close view of sample which is treated by a solution
containing only 100% Aloe vera gel
 In sample which is treated by a solution containing only 100% Aloe vera gel, there was no
growth of S.aureus. So it can be said that 100% Aloe vera treated any bleached woven fabric
can easily protect the activity of S. aureus and can be used as medical textiles because it can
show antimicrobial activity.

20. 1. It is difficult to make clear solution of Aloe vera gel for treating sample.
2. For large scale application hand extract process is not applicable.
3. Still now its application area is limited to some medical textiles, home textiles etc.
4. Need more researches on the application of Aloe vera gel in different areas of textiles
sectors.
5. Test facilities are very limited in our country. Only few industries and universities have
the facility.
6. Etc.
Limitations

21. K.Senthil Kumar Intertek India Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore, India Email: senthilkumar163@gmail.com)
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Reynolds, E.F. (Ed.) Martindale: The Extra Pharmacopoeia, The Pharmaceutical Press: London 1993.
El Zawahry, M.E., Hegazy, M.R., Helal, M. Use of aloe in treating leg ulcers and dermatoses, Dermatology 1973, 12, 68-73.
Steinegger, E. & Hänsel, R. Lehrbuch der Pharmakognosie und Phytopharmazie, Springer-Verlag: Berlin – Heidelberg – New York
1988.
Braun, H.& Frohne, D. Heilpflanzen-Lexikon für Ärzte und Apotheker, Gustav Fischer Verlag: Stuttgart, Germany 1987.
IASC, The International Aloe Science Council Certification Program.
URL: http://iasc.org/certify.html 2009-05-15.
Steinegger, E. & Hänsel, R. Lehrbuch der Pharmakognosie und Phytopharmazie, Springer- Verlag: Berlin – Heidelberg – New
York 1988.
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