Chitin nanowhiskers as alternative antimicrobial controlled release carriers

Abstract

Antimicrobial finishings protect users from pathogenic and odor-generating microorganisms, which are of medical and hygiene concerns. Controlled release is a useful approach to obtain antimicrobial finishings in several materials because it provides a gradual and persistent antibiotic release from the surface into the surroundings. Such a property has been taken into account in this work, using chitin nano-whiskers (CNWs) as carriers of methylparaben to prepare durable antimicrobial cotton textiles. This durability has been endowed with fixing CNWs in a silicon oxide matrix. Antimicrobial activity has been determined using Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumanii and Salmonella choleraesuis. Treated textiles have shown antimicrobial activity with laundering durability up to 20 washing cycles. Methylparaben leaching from the textile has been assessed by liquid chromatography showing a methylparaben controlled release which could be responsible for the obtained antimicrobial laundry durability. Textile mechanical properties have not been altered by the finishing.