Eco-friendly antibacterial and biocompatible coatings by applying cinnamon essential oil and propolis based emulsions on cotton textiles

The aim of this paper was to obtain bioactive textiles suitable for skin applications using a polymeric bioactive system based on xanthan-propolis-cinnamon essential oil. Oil-in-water emulsion was immobilized by padding method on two weave fabrics made from 100% cotton yarns (V-1) and 100% cotton yarns in warp direction blended with 80% cotton/20% Smartcel TM Sensitive in weft direction (V-2). The functionalized textiles were characterized regarding their physical-mechanical characteristics, hydrophilicity, and anti-bacterial activity. Cell viability, membrane integrity, and inflammation status of the functionalized fabrics were evaluated on HaCaT human keratinocytes. Mass of both textile fabrics increased depending on the amount of immobilized emulsion that remained after the functionalization process. Slightly lower values of hydrophilicity were obtained for both fabrics that showed a wettability of 1.30 seconds. Water vapor permeability and air permeability had lower values compared to control. An antibacterial activitiy was observed for both samples against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The organization of filamentous actin in cells cultured in the presence of bioactive textiles was kept within the normal limits. V 2 sample displayed good biocompatibility without skin irritation, recommending for further dressings and clothes with medical applications or daily usage.