Due to global ecological and economic challenges that have been correlated to the transition from fossil-based to renewable resources, fundamental studies are being performed worldwide to replace fossil fuel raw materials in plastic production. One aspect of current research is the development of lignin-derived polyols to substitute expensive fossil-based polyol components for polyurethane and polyester production. This article describes the synthesis of bioactive lignin-based polyurethane coatings using unmodified and demethylated Kraft lignins. Demethylation was performed to enhance the reaction selectivity toward polyurethane formation. The antimicrobial activity was tested according to a slightly modified standard test (JIS Z 2801(JIS Z :2010. Besides effects caused by the lignins themselves, triphenylmethane derivatives (brilliant green and crystal violet) were used as additional antimicrobial substances. Results showed increased antimicrobial capacity against Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, the coating color could be varied from dark brown to green and blue, respectively.Coatings 2019, 9, 494 2 of 16 and DNA in cells of mice against oxidation damage [19] have been tested. Gao [20] and Bshena [21] studied the antimicrobial activity of various textiles, using lignin incorporated into polyethylene films and applied in the finishing processes. For textiles, there are special requirements such as non-toxicity to the consumer, namely cytotoxicity, allergy or irritation and sensitization. In other recent studies, lignosulfonic acid is reported to exhibit broad-spectrum anti-HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and anti-HSV (herpes simplex virus) properties [22,23]. Thus, Qiu investigated the anti-HIV-1 activity-potential of lignosulfonates as a microbicide to prevent HIV-1 sexual transmission [23]. Another recently reported study revealed that the antimicrobial capacity of lignin correlates with the phenolic components, specifically the side chain structure and the nature of further functional groups [24]. Typically, the presence of a double bond in α, ÎČ positions of the side chain and a methyl group in the Îł position grants the phenolic fragments with the most potency against microorganisms. However, none of the hitherto published studies included the investigation of the antibacterial activity of lignin when included in polymeric matrices.Unmodified lignin is widely studied as a component for polymer production with a focus on phenol-formaldehyde resins and polyurethanes (PUs) [25], where lignin is used as polyol substitute due to the high amount of hydroxyl groups resulting in high crosslinking densities and variable mechanical properties [26][27][28]. In previous studies, lignin-derived polyurethane coatings have been prepared using Kraft lignin isolated at room temperature from aqueous media (black liquor) at different pH values [29]. In addition, their antioxidative activity has been investigated using the Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) assay [30]. Although lignin contains many functionalities, they are often diff...