Antibacterial Function of Fabrics Dyed with Extract from Chamaecyparis obtusa Leaves against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

: Bacteria exist everywhere and continuously come into contact with daily surroundings and humans. Super bacterium methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, resistant to methicillin, has recently appeared. The morbidity and rate of death associated with super bacteria infection has increased. This study investigated the antibacterial activity of fabrics naturally dyed with Chamaecyparis obtusa leaves extract against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Fabrics were left for 15 min in a natural dyeing solution prepared by extraction from C. obtusa leaves using 11.3% (o.w.f) with a fixed liquor ratio of 1:22 at 40 o C. The dyeing process was conducted using three different mordants; subsequently, the K/S value of the dyed fabrics increased in the order of None < Cu < Fe < Al. The color fastness property of the fabrics to washing, dry-cleaning, and rubbing was found to be excellent and ranked in the 4-5 grade. The color fastness to light of natural dyeing is low in most cases and has the problem that the dye color soon becomes bleached. Yet, in most cases cloth dyed with retinispora leaves, the color fastnezz to light was good with a third to fourth grade. Non-mordant fabrics, aluminum mordants, and copper mordants also showed better antibacterial properties (99.9% reduction) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, compared to the control fabrics. The dyed fabrics showed the same antibacterial activity even after three washes. The results highlight the strong potential of fabrics naturally dyed with C. obtusa-extract as a medicinal material with excellent antibacterial function against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Dyeing Performance and Anti-Superbacterial Activity of Cotton Fabrics Dyed with Chamaecyparis obtusa

“…In terms of dye migration, the addition of a white cotton or white wool fabric to the test fabrics yielded Grade 4 or 4–5, which is very good. The results of dyeing a cotton fabric with cypress were slightly better than those derived in previous studies [ 25 , 26 ] in terms of the degree of discoloration caused by acidic or alkaline sweat.…”

“…These ratings were Grade 4–5, very good, in most of the dyed fabrics ( Table 3 ). These experimental results compared to previous studies [ 25 , 26 ] show that cypress dyeing yields an excellent wet rubbing fastness.…”

“…Such results show that the use of Cu mordanting on the cotton fabric dyed with C. obtusa is the most effective way to retain the color. According to a previous study by Choi et al (2017), the color fastness of rayon dyed with cypress extract showed similar results [ 25 ]. The excellent (not particularly high) washing fastness of the fabric dyed with natural dye is considered one of the unique characteristics of the dye used.…”

“…The light fastness was rated as Grade 3 and Grade 3–4 in most of the C. obtusa -dyed fabrics ( Table 2 ). According to the preceding studies, the light fastness is generally rated as Grade 1–3 in natural dye [ 25 , 26 ]. Accordingly, the fabric dyed with natural dye encounters the problem of rapid discoloration in sunlight.…”