EVALUATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL FINISHING OF COTTON USING POKEWEED BERRY DYE MORDANTED WITH ALOE VERA

Abstract

Cotton has a high reputation for being one of the most used fabrics in the world but because it is hydrophilic, has an extreme susceptibility to microbial damage, causing degradation of the fabric and skin irritations. Although synthetic antimicrobial finishes for cotton have shown effectiveness over time, they carry issues of environmental toxicity and the development of microbial resistance, therefore, the need for sustainable and plant-based alternatives must be fulfilled. This paper presents the use of a plant-derived functional finish using pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) berry dye and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) extract, together to cotton fabric. A two-step pre-treatment method was employed on the used cotton to increase the fabric’s absorption potential. The procedure consisted of applying fresh aloe vera extract (varying concentrations 10% - 100% v/v) as the pre-mordant, then applying an aqueous pokeweed dye. To evaluate for antimicrobial activity of the finished samples before and after laundry (following AATCC LP2 procedure), Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were used as test organisms with AATCC 147 qualitative test procedure. Results indicated that aloe vera is a viable bio-mordant, the antimicrobial activity of the fabrics increased with increasing concentration of aloe vera pre-mordant with the maximum zone of inhibition occurring at the 100% concentration of the aloe vera extract. However, the after-laundry test showed a dramatic loss of activity, emphasising the need for non-toxic cross-linking agents for practical applications. This paper provides a foundational framework for the use of indigenous bio-resources in green fashion for hygiene-sensitive textile industries.