ABSTRACT
The use of elemental silver, ionizable silver, nanoparticles, chitosan and natural dyes as antimicrobial textile agents is well known for a variety of microbes including Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant 212 Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pyogenes, Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas and Aspergillus niger. Clothing which served as mere protection has now changed to health-based clothing. There is a good demand not only for fabrics having functional/special finishes in general but also with antimicrobial finishes in particular. Such fabrics not only serve the wellness sector but due to their antimicrobial finishes suffice prevention and healing also. The application of antimicrobial textile finishes includes a wide range of textile products for industrial, home furnishing, technical, medicinal and apparel sectors. Textiles with biocidal finishes, despite their commercial potential, until recently, were not widely accepted in the market. To avoid such menaces, cautious and steadfast in vitro as well as in vivo test systems need to be developed. The upsurge of recent technologies and products should earnestly study the subtle skin microflora balance for selection and consideration of compounds and techniques. Although textile fabrics ought to sustain physiological functions, they should not become a threat to the human health. Standard protocols should be developed for evaluating the antimicrobial potential of the textile fabrics as well as for the determination of any other associated undesirable side effects. The present chapter focuses on developments and utilization of various antimicrobial agents for healthy textile finishes with improved performance and durability.
