Recent advances in textile functionalization using essential oil-based-microcapsules with antimicrobial properties

Georgievska, Tamara (author), Trajkovikj, Stefan (author), Atkovska, Katerina (author), Lisichkov, Kiril (author)

Antimicrobial textiles are functionalized textiles designed to inhibit or terminate the growth of microorganisms. In light of the increasing emphasis on eco-friendly processes, the application of essential oils presents a viable alternative to synthetic drugs (antibiotics). The aim of this study was to evaluate recent advances in microencapsulation methods of essential oils with antimicrobial activity that can be applied on medical textile for dermal use by employing the PRISMA methodology. Essential oils have been microencapsulated using various methods: coacervation, spray-drying, emulsion method and in situ polymerization. Among these, coacervation is still extensively utilized, though associated scale-up challenges persist. Many essential oils have demonstrated antibacterial properties against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria, as well as antifungal activity (Candida albicans). The growth inhibition of these microorganisms was assessed in the presence of the following essential oils and their active substances with the highest biological-antimicrobial activity: cinnamon (transcinnamaldehyde), lime (α-terpineol, terpineol, and limonene), tea tree (terpinen-4-ol), rosemary (1,8-cineole and α-pinene), peppermint (l-menthol, menthone, methyl acetate and limonene), lavender (linalool and linalyl acetate), thyme (carvacrol) and clove (eugenol). The findings indicate that functionalized textile with microcapsules exhibits enhanced antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria compared to Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), which could be attributed to the bacteria’s thick wall. However, there is a notable lack of data regarding cytotoxicity and the sensory evaluation of functionalized textile. The potential utilization of essential oils was explored in the development of eco-friendlier functionalized textile with antimicrobial properties. However, additional research is required to maximize the antimicrobial activity of microcapsules to overcome challenges in the scale-up to pilot process, and to improve the immobilization in textiles.

• Language: English
• Keywords: antimicrobial properties, sustainability, essential oils, microcapsules, textile functionalization
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 121-131
• Numbering: Vol. 68, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-176845
• UDC: 677
• ISSN on article: 0351-3386
• DOI: 10.14502/tekstilec.68.2025025
• COBISS.SI-ID: 262228739
• Publication date in RUL: 11.12.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Tekstilec : glasilo slovenskih tekstilcev
• Shortened title: Tekstilec
• Publisher: Zveza inženirjev in tehnikov tekstilcev, Splošno združenje tekstilne industrije, Zveza inženirjev in tehnikov tekstilcev, Splošno združenje tekstilne industrije, Društvo inženirjev in tehnikov tekstilcev, Univerza v Ljubljani, Naravoslovnotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za tekstilstvo, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 0351-3386
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763396

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Nedavni napredek funkcionalizacije tekstilij z mikrokapsulami na osnovi protimikrobnih eteričnih olj

Abstract

Protimikrobne tekstilije so funkcionalizirani materiali, zasnovani za zaviranje ali preprečevanje rasti mikroorganizmov. Ker si prizadevamo za uporabo okolju prijaznih tehnologij, je uporaba eteričnih olj mogoča kot alternativa sintetičnim zdravilom, kot so antibiotiki. Namen raziskave je bil oceniti razvoj metod mikroenkapsuliranja eteričnih olj s protimikrobnim delovanjem, ki jih je mogoče s pomočjo metodologije PRISMA uporabiti pri pripravi medicinskih tekstilij za dermalno uporabo. Eterična olja so bila mikrokapsulirana z različnimi tehnikami, vključno s koacervacijo, sušenjem z razprševanjem, emulzijsko metodo in polimerizacijo in situ. Med omenjenimi metodami je koacervacija še vedno najpogosteje uporabljena kljub izzivom, povezanim z razširitvijo procesa na industrijsko raven. Posamezna eterična olja izkazujejo širokospektralno protibakterijsko delovanje proti grampozitivnim (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) in gramnegativnim bakterijam (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae) ter protiglivično učinkovitost proti Candida albicans. Najvišjo biološko-protimikrobno aktivnost so pokazale aktivne snovi eteričnih olj cimeta (trans-cinamaldehid), limete (α-terpineol, terpineol, limonen), čajevca (terpinen-4-ol), rožmarina (1,8-cineol, α-pinen), poprove mete (L-mentol, menton, metil acetat, limonen), sivke (linalol, linalil acetat), timijana (karvakrol) in klinčkov (evgenol). Ugotovljeno je bilo, da mikrokapsulirane funkcionalizirane tekstilije izkazujejo učinkovitejše protibakterijsko delovanje proti grampozitivnim bakterijam kot proti gramnegativnim, kar je mogoče pripisati razliki v strukturi celične stene mikroorganizmov. Kljub spodbudnim rezultatom pa so podatki o citotoksičnosti in senzoričnih lastnostih protimikrobnih tekstilij še vedno omejeni. Potrebne so nadaljnje raziskave za povečanje protimikrobne učinkovitosti mikrokapsul, optimiziranje postopkov industrijske izdelave in izboljšanje vezave mikrokapsul na tekstilna vlakna.

• Keywords: protimikrobne lastnosti, trajnost, eterična olja, mikrokapsule, funkcionalizacija tekstilij