Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Antimicrobial activity test of the unwashed and washed textile fabric prepared – evaluation of bacterial and fungus growth
| Sample identification | Activity | Reference cultures | Growth | Inhibition zone, mm | Efficacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before antimicrobial treatment | Antibacterial | ATCC 12228 | none | 0 | NE |
| ATCC 25922 | none | 0 | NE | ||
| ATCC 25923 | none | 0 | NE | ||
| ATCC 13883 | none | 0 | NE | ||
| ATCC 27853 | none | 0 | NE | ||
| ATCC 12459 | none | 0 | NE | ||
| Antifungal | ATCC 10231 | none | 0 | NE | |
| Sample 0 | Antibacterial | ATCC 12228 | none | 8.1 | GE |
| ATCC 25922 | none | 2.1 | GE | ||
| ATCC 25923 | none | 7.0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 13883 | none | 3.0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 27853 | none | 3.8 | GE | ||
| ATCC 12459 | none | 1.3 | GE | ||
| Antifungal | ATCC 10231 | none | 1.8 | GE | |
| Sample 1 | Antibacterial | ATCC 12228 | none | 1.3 | GE |
| ATCC 25922 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 25923 | none | 1.1 | GE | ||
| ATCC 13883 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 27853 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 12459 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| Antifungal | ATCC 10231 | none | 0 | GE | |
| Sample 2 | Antibacterial | ATCC 12228 | none | 0 | GE |
| ATCC 25922 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 25923 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 13883 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 27853 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| ATCC 12459 | none | 0 | GE | ||
| Antifungal | ATCC 10231 | none | 0 | GE |
Assessment conditions of the antimicrobial and antifungal effect in the agar diffusion test
| Mean value of inhibition zone (mm) | Growth a) | Description | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| > 1 | None | Inhibition zone exceeding 1 mm, no growth b) | Good effect |
| 0 | Slight | No inhibition zone, only some restricted colonies, growth nearly totally suppressed d) | Limit of efficacy |
| 0 | Moderate | No inhibition zone, compared to the control growth reduced to half e) | Insufficient effect |
Evaluation of the electrostatic action of the unwashed and washed textile fabric prepared
| Samples | Resistance | Remarks | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without antimicrobial treatment | 1.75×1012 Ω | Higher than minimum compliance value according to the standard | Not applicable for protective textiles |
| Antimicrobial treated and unwashed | 1.17×109 Ω | Good enough for this application as it is twice lower than the minimum compliance value | Could be used for non-washable systems only |
| Antimicrobial treated and after 1st washing cycle | 2.38×109 Ω | On the limits of error with minimum possible | Cannot be used for protective textiles. |
| Antimicrobial treated and after 2nd washing cycle | --- | Much higher than is required | Cannot be used for protective textiles. |