Abstract:

The antimicrobial finishing of textiles has attracted research attention lately due to demands for a healthy lifestyle. As a result, several synthetic and natural antimicrobial agents for textiles have been developed over the years. Recently research into antimicrobials agents of natural origin have become more popular due to their enormous therapeutic potential and effectiveness in the treatment of infectious diseases while mitigating the side effects of the synthetic antimicrobials. Research into these natural biocides for textiles has seen increasing consumers awareness for two reasons, namely the potential negative impact of synthetic biocides on health versus the benefits of natural biocides, and the increasing rate of microbial resistance to most natural biocides. The immense literature on natural biocides suggests the preparedness of the research community and industry in addressing the environmental and health challenges associated with  synthetic antimicrobial agents in response to the new consumer demands. This review focuses on the advances in natural antimicrobial agents and various methods of their application. Literature suggest that  natural antimicrobial agents have chalked some success in terms of efficacy and wash durability, with minimal effect on the tensile strength of fabrics.