ABSTRACT
The synthetic anti-microbial agents used for the finishing of textiles cause more health and environmental effects. Health and wellness is the urgent need of the hour, so it is more important to finish the medical textiles with natural anti-microbial agents. In the present investigation, the cotton fabrics were finished with methanol, ethanol, and acetone extracts of Carica papaya leaves. The anti-microbial activity of the finished fabrics was tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by using the agar diffusion method. The zone of inhibition found around the fabric was measured in millimeters. The ethanol extracts showed a higher zone of inhibition for the test organisms (Staphylococcus aureus-33 mm) than other solvents. All the finished fabrics showed a higher zone of inhibition for Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. The washed fabrics were also assessed for the anti-microbial activity against the test organisms. It was observed that ten wash cycles of the finished fabrics retained 50% of the anti-bacterial activity against the test organisms.
