Review Article Volume 6 Issue 1 - January 2020 DOI: 10.19080/CTFTTE.2020.06.555676 Curr Trends Fashion Technol Textile Eng Copyright © All rights are reserved by Asaye Dessie Wolela Antibacterial Finishing of Cotton Textiles with Extract of Citrus Fruit Peels Asaye Dessie Wolela* Department of Textile Engineering, Wollo University, Ethiopia Submission: October 30, 2019; Published: January 07, 2020 *Corresponding author: Asaye Dessie Wolela, Department of Textile Engineering, Kombolcha Institute of Technology, Wollo University, Kombolcha, Ethiopia Curr Trends Fashion Technol Textile Eng 6(1): CTFTTE.MS.ID.555676 (2020) 001 Current Trends in Fashion Technology & Textile Engineering ISSN: 2577-2929 Abstract The objective of this study is to explore, evaluate and compare the antibacterial activity of a cotton fabric treated with essential oils extracted from green, orange & black (a mixture of both green and orange) lemon peel (Citrus limon). The Citrus limon peel is rich in nutrient such as flavonoid and essential oil that can be used for antimicrobial activity. The finishing agent, lemon peel extract was extracted by treatment with methanol using steam distillation techniques. The antimicrobial activities were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (gram-negative) bacteria by zone of inhibition measurement. Cotton finished with green lemon peel extract showed strong antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (24-30mm) and Escherichia coli (22-26mm) bacteria as compared to orange and black lemon. Black (50% green and 50% orange) lemon peel extract showed better antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (18-26mm) and Escherichia coli (18-25mm) bacteria than the orange lemon peel. In addition to this, the durability of the natural finishing agent on cotton was measured before or after washing and has got the same effect. From this study, it was revealed that citrus lemon have better, durable antibacterial potential with the green lemon peel extract having a more efficient effect compared to others Keywords: Antibacterial; Lemon peel; Essential oil; Zone of inhibition; Cotton fabric Introduction The antimicrobial finishing process imparts the ability, to textile substrate, to inhibit the growth (-static) or reproduction of at least some types of microorganisms or to kill (-cidal) at least some types of microorganisms” [1-3]. Therefore, an antimicrobial finish should be capable to kill the microbes by breaching the cell wall or alter cell membrane permeability, obstructing the synthesis of proteins of microbes, blocking enzyme production necessary for microbes’ food [1]. The major use of the antimicrobial was in the medical and the pharmaceutical industry. However, newer applications are possible. The textile fibers are these days increasingly treated with antimicrobial reagents. The other examples include the applications in food packaging and food storage, and medical, surgery and hygienic products etc [4-6]. With the improvement of life standards, the demand of hygienic products is increasing for biocidal finishes in textiles (sports-wears, undergarment, bedlinen) and water filtration. The antibacterial finish treatment has become vital area of medical, surgical and healthcare activities due potential pathogenic microorganisms present in hospital environment and cause cross-infection diseases [7-11]. The types of micro-organisms include different kinds of organisms such as virus, bacteria, unicellular plants and animals, certain algae and fungi [12]. Classification in bacteria family is “gram- positive, gram-negative, spore bearing or non-spore bearing type”. Some of the bacteria are of pathogenic nature that may cause infections to human [13]. A gram-positive bacterium contains peptidoglycan and teichoic acid, peptidoglycan comprises of 90% of cell walls and made of amino acid and sugar. One example of gram-positive bacteria is Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) that is in form of pair, short chain or graphic like cluster. Its size range is 0.5μm to 1.0μm and grows in temperature range of 35 to 40°C. S aureus is major cause of cross infection in hospital environment and 19% of total surgical infection. It’s also responsible for boils and also cause scaled skin infections. Gram-negative bacteria are firm to reduce as compared to gram positive bacteria for the reason that of extra cell walls. An example of gram-negative bacteria is Escherichia coli (E. coli); its shape is similar to a bacillus and dwell in intestine of human. E. coli can be proliferated during eating and/or usage of raw food stuff [13]. Antimicrobials control the growth of microorganisms and their negative effects of odour, staining and deterioration. Antimicrobial finishing prevents or inhibits the growth of microorganisms or microbes. The enormous majority of antimicrobials work by leaching or moving from the surface on which they are applied [14-16]. Most