Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol.11 (3), July 2012, pp. 493-498
Effect of medicinal herb extracts treated garments on selected diseases Chandrasekaran K1*, Ramachandran T2 & Vigneswaran C3 1&3
Department of Fashion Technology, PSG College of Technology, Peelamedu (PO), Coimbatore – 641004, Tamil Nadu, India 2 Karpagam Institute of Technology, Coimbatore – 641021, Tamil Nadu, India E-mail:
[email protected] Received 25.03.10, revised 10.08.10
A novel attempt has been made through this research work to develope medicinal herb extracts treated garments using alternate medical concepts to cure selected diseases. It is a new approach to cure the diseases by wearing the medicinal herb extracts treated garments. In this work, about 16 medicinal herbs such as neem, turmeric, holy basil, sandal wood, etc. have been selected for curing 7 different diseases such as allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, asthma, liver disorders, headache, joints pain, sinus trouble/ cold. Hundred percent cotton woven/knitted fabrics were treated with the selected medicinal herb extracts and 7 different types of curative garments have been developed. The developed fabrics have been tested for its antimicrobial activity using standard test methods. The antibacterial assessments of the medicinal herb extracts treated fabrics and clinical trials have confirmed the correlation between the curative performance and its antibacterial activity. The present study is an alternative method of drug delivery. Keywords: Alternate medical concepts, Medicinal herbs, Herbal dyeing, Anti-microbial, Curative garments IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K 36/00, C09B 61/00, D06B, D06P, C12N, A62B 17/00, G21I 3/02, A41D, A45C, A01D 2/23, A01D 3/08, A01D 6/27, A01D11/18, A01D 20/37, A01D 20/75
Microbial infestation poses danger to both living and non-living matters. Obnoxious smell from the inner garments, spread of diseases, staining in textiles and degradation of clothings are detrimental effects of bad microbes. Though the use of antimicrobials have been known for the decades, it is only in the recent couple of years attempts have been made on finishing textiles with antimicrobial compounds. The consumers are now increasingly aware of the hygienic life style, and there is necessity and expectation for a wide range of textile products finished with antimicrobial properties1. In the present scenario of environmental consciousness, the new quality requirements not only emphasize on the intrinsic functionality and long service life of the product but also a production process that is environment friendly. Therefore, research on environment friendly antimicrobial agents based on natural products for textile application is gaining worldwide interest. Different classes of active ingredients found in extracts of natural products2. —————— *Corresponding author
Antimicrobial textiles with improved functionality find a variety of applications such as health and hygiene products, especially the garments worn close to the skin and several medical applications, such as infection control and barrier material. The relatively lower incidence of adverse reactions of herbal products as compared to modern synthetic pharmaceuticals, coupled with their reduced cost, can be exploited as an attractive ecofriendly alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents for textile applications 3-4. Natural dyes can be very useful tool in providing antifungal as well as antimicrobial finish to textile as they are known for dyeing as well as their medicinal properties for a long time but their structures and protective properties have been recognized only in the recent years5. Health and hygiene are the primary requirements for human beings to live comfortably and work with maximum efficiency. To protect the mankind from pathogens and to avoid cross infection, a special finish like antimicrobial finish has become necessary6-7. With the advent of new technologies, the growing needs of the consumer in the wake of health and hygiene can be fulfilled without compromising
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the issues related to safety, human health and environment. Tapping new potential antimicrobial substances, such as, chitosan from nature can considerably minimise the undesirable activities of the antimicrobial products7. With the increasing demand for fresh and hygienic textiles, the consumption of antimicrobials is increasing day by day. Research and development activity is trying to keep pace by developing more and more effective and safe solutions8. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4 billion people, 80% of the world population, presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary healthcare. Herbal medicine is a major component in all indigenous peoples’ traditional medicine and a common element in ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional, oriental, and Native American Indian medicine. WHO notes that of 119 plants derived pharmaceutical medicines, about 74% are used in modern medicine in ways that co - related directly with their traditional uses as plant medicines by native cultures. Substances derived from the plants remain the basis for a large proportion of the commercial medications used today, for the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, pain, asthma, and other problems. In this research work, an attempt is made to impart medicinal property to cotton fabrics by using the combined theories and concepts of alternate medical concepts such as siddha, ayurveda, colour therapy, pranic healing, naturopathy, etc. The curative garments have been developed to cure allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, asthma, liver disorders, headache, jointspain and sinus trouble/ common cold. During the development of curative garments, all stages of processing were done in a natural way. The aim of this project work was to changeover to environment friendly processed textile products not only for apparel purposes but also curing various diseases. It also safeguards the environment, pollution prevention and to promote ecofriendly textiles to ensure that they reach to the individual and to the masses to generate a true awareness. Curative garments prevent pollution by avoiding the use of more then 1/3 pound of lethal chemicals which is essential in making of one shirt. It also encourage tree plantations because the herbs used are the main sources of raw material together it provides manure to the soil and plants because the waste generated by the herbal dyes would serve the same
purpose. People can avoid allergies, septic condition, cancer, bad transpiration, etc. all caused by wearing conventional textiles made using deadly chemicals. It is benefit to children and the future generations by stopping air, water and soil pollution. On the societal side, it promotes mass labour employments because hand-process is involved through out all stages of herbal dyeing. Materials and methods Hundred percent plain weave cotton woven grey fabrics and 100% cotton knitted fabrics in single jersey structure were used for the development of curative fabrics. According to the diseases, selected medicinal herbs were used in the herbal dyeing process. The medicinal herbs used for the research work were sourced from the organic farms of Tamilnadu & Kerala. Table 1 shows the medicinal herbs and textile materials used for the development of curative fabrics. The curative fabrics development process consists of natural desizing, scouring, bleaching, and herbal dyeing. All the processes were carried out in a natural way without using any chemicals at any stage of processing. The process parameters adopted for the development of curative fabrics are given in Table 1. The material is wetted in cold-water solution containing Sapindus emerginata seed extract 10% and left in this bath for 24 hrs. The scouring process was carried out in the solution containing 15% plantain leaf ash at the boiling temperature for an hour and washed several times till the material is brought to neutral pH. The scoured cotton fabrics were exposed to direct sunlight with the use of a natural grass base, which carries out the natural bleaching process. No chemicals were used in this process. Herbs are chosen according to the nature of the disease. Then it is powdered or wet ground to break the particle size to 50 µ and then boiled for 60-180 minutes depending on the hardness of the material and then the solution was drained or filtered. Medicinally rich herbs are used for dyeing the fabric, their selection were made based on their active components, which depends on the nature of the disease it heals. The dye bath was set with required amount of water and temperature. Herbal extract solution was poured in to the dye bath. The fabric was treated in the dye bath at correct time and temperature according to the herbs used. Seven curative fabric samples were dyed in the herbal dyeing process and
CHANDRASEKARAN et al.: EFFECT OF MEDICINAL HERB EXTRACTS TREATED GARMENTS ON DISEASES
the details of the process parameters are given in Table 1. After dyeing, the fabrics were washed with water, dried in shadow to retain the medicinal properties and cured at room temperature. Testing of curative fabrics The medicinal herb extracts treated curative fabrics have been tested as per AATCC Standards (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colourists). The antimicrobial activity was ascertained by quantitative method as recommended by AATCC. The combined AATCC 100 and Hohenstein modified test method: challenge test – JIS L 1902 and wash durability test (AATCC 124) were done. The presumptive screenings of fabrics were carried out using Agar diffusion method and further confirmed by calculating the percentage reduction of bacteria using Shake flask test. Apart from the above tests the standard wash fastness test (BS EN ISO-105 CO6 A1M- Washing at 40°c) was carried out to determine the wash fastness of the fabrics. Development of curative garments Using the developed curative fabrics, 7 different types of curative garments have been developed such as Aloe T-shirt, Neem-Portia T-shirt, Holy Basil T-shirt, Turmo-Neem T-shirt, Euca – Head Band, Balloon- Jointspain Band and Sandal – handkerchief to cure allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, asthma, liver disorders, headache, jointspain and sinus trouble/ cold, respectively. Clinical trials The performance of the developed curative garments were evaluated by conducting clinical trial at a nature cure centre by giving it to patients with allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, asthma, liver disorders, headache, jointspain, sinus trouble/ cold. The patients were instructed to carry out the washing of the washable curative garments with natural non-ionic detergents and dry them in shadow to retain the medicinal properties. They were also instructed to keep them in a cool and dry place prior to use like medicines. The performances of the curative garments were evaluated once in every week and the clinical trials were conducted for 7 weeks duration. Detailed feed back from the patients and the doctor were collected every week regarding the performance of the curative garments. The patients were instructed to wear the curative garments next to the skin 10-12 hrs per day especially during sleeping time to get better results.
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Results and discussion Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of curative fabrics using standard test methods
Agar diffusion test (SN 195920) is a preliminary test to detect the diffusive herbal molecules of the herbal extracts treated fabrics, which are having antimicrobial activity. In this test, a microbial culture is spread evenly on the top of an agar plate-containing medium that will support its growth and their test results are given in Table 2. The preliminary assessments of the antibacterial activity of the curative fabrics confirm that the maximum efficiency was found in the Neem-Portia tree fruit treated fabric followed by Holy basil-Malabar nut and Turmeric-Neem treated fabrics. The test results clearly confirm that the treated fabrics were efficient in controlling the gram-positive organism than the gram-negative organism. Objective evaluation of the antimicrobial activity is arrived by making use of the challenge test (Combined AATCC 100 And Hohenstein modified test method: Challenge test - JIS L 1902) in which the difference between the actual bacterial count of the treated and untreated control was assayed and given in Table 2. The evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy test showed that percent bacterial reduction of curative fabrics varies from 82-98% in the case of Staphylococcus aureus (representation of gram positive bacteria) and 68-82% in the case of Escherichia coli (representation of gram positive bacteria). The results clearly show that the curative fabrics have got excellent antibacterial activity against the major diseases causing bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The above anti bacterial activity helps to correlate the curative properties of the treated fabrics with the efficiency of the herbal extracts. For the laundering durability test, the specimens were washed on a short time program for 30-45 minutes at 60°C using an automatic washing machine using AATCC 124 test method. In order to prevent any adverse effects of detergent, soap (2% owm) and sodium carbonate (1% owm) were used. Fabrics were dried in a tumble drier. Antimicrobial activity was noted after every two washes and the results are given in Table 3. The results shows that the retention of antimicrobial activity was noticed up to maximum of 12 washes in the case of Neem-Portia tree fruit treated fabrics followed by Turmeric – Neem treated fabrics.
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Table 1—Herbal dyeing process parameters (Dyeing method : Pad-Dry- Cure) Parameters
Fabrics treated for various diseases Headache Asthma Liver disorders
Common cold/ Sinus trouble Material 100% Cotton knitted fabric 100% Cotton woven fabric Curcuma longa Eucalyptus Cardiospermum Santalum album Major herb (s) Aloe Azadirachta indica Ocimum (Turmeric) & , globulus halicacabum (Sandal oil) & used Botannical barbadensis (Neem) Thespesia sanctum (Holy basil) Azadirachta name (Common (Aloe vera) Populnea (Eucalyptus Oil) (Balloon Vine) Myristica fragrans indica (Neem) & Rubia (Nutmeg) name) (Portia Tree Fruit) cordifolia & Terminalia (Manjistha) chebula (Myroblan) Psoriasis
Skin diseases
Joints pain
Temperature
Room Room temperature temperature
Elevated Elevated temperature temperature
Boiling temperatue
M:L ratio Time duration
1:10 12 hrs
1:10 1 hr at elevated temperature & 12 Hrs at room temperature
1:10 1:5 1:10 30 minutes 30 minutes 12 hrs at room at boiling at boiling temperature temperature then temperature then 12 hrs at room 12 hrs at room temperature temperature
1:10 12 hrs
1;10 1 hr at elevate temperature & 12 hrs at room temperature
Boiling temperature
Room temperature
Table 2—Assessment of antibacterial activity of curative fabrics Agar diffusion method Zone of Inhibition (Diameter in mm) S.aureus E .coli (Gram + organism) (Gram - organism)
Curative fabrics
29 18 38 31 30 17
Aloe-vera treated Sandal – Nutmeg treated Neem-Portia tree fruit treated Turmeric -Neem treated Holy basil – Malabar nut treated Untreated – control
Challenge test method % of Bacterial reduction S.aureus E .Coli (Gram + organism) (Gram - organism)
19 17 26 27 21 14
90 82 98 95 94 0
75 68 82 80 78 0
Table 3—Wash durability of the curative fabrics Treated herbals Aloe vera treated Sandal – Nutmeg treated Neem-Portia tree fruit treated Turmeric -Neem treated Holy basil – Malabar nut treated
Bacterial reduction 6th wash 8th wash
Before washing
2nd wash
4th wash
10th wash
12th wash
14thwash
90 82
85 75
54 55
41 44
22 18
10 10.5
-
-
98
90
72
60
45
18
11
-
95
86
61
40
21
14
10
-
94
85
48
36
22
12
-
-
Since the above fabrics are developed mainly for the curative purpose, this results shows that the bonding of the herbal molecules in the fabric structure was moderate. The above property would help the herbal molecules to get diffused in to the fabric very easily.
got change in shade range from 1-3. Since the above fabrics are mainly intended for curative purpose, the low /medium wash fastness properties of the above fabrics will help the herbal molecules to easily diffuse in to the skin of the patient.
The wash fastness test was carried out for curative fabrics using the ISO Standard (ISO-105 C06 A1MWASHING AT 40°C) and the change in shade was identified and the results were presented in Table 4. The test results show that the curative fabrics have
Evaluation of curative garments using clinical trials
The curative performance of the curative garments is given in Table 5. The result shows that in all the cases, the performance of the curative fabrics was found to be significant as per doctor’s evaluation.
CHANDRASEKARAN et al.: EFFECT OF MEDICINAL HERB EXTRACTS TREATED GARMENTS ON DISEASES
Table 4—Wash fastness test results of curative fabrics Curative fabrics
Change in shade (grade)
Aloe-vera treated Sandal treated Neem-Portia tree fruit treated Turmeric -Neem treated Holy basil – Malabar nut treated
3 2 2-3 1-2 2
Table 5—Curative performance of curative garments in clinical trials Curative garment Aloe T-shirt Neem-Portia T-shirt Holy basil T-shirt Turmo-Neem T-shirt Euca – Head Band Balloon-Jointspain Band Sandal Hand Kerchief
Disease cured
Curative performance
Allergic dermatitis Psoriasis Asthma Liver disorders Headache
Significant Significant Significant Significant Significant
Jointspain
Significant
Sinus trouble/ cold
Significant
The antibacterial assessment of the treated fabrics confirmed the correlation between the curative property and its antibacterial activity. The biochemical properties of the herbal extracts can be elucidated and its exact role in the mechanism of curing the disease can be well established. The present study is an alternative method of drug delivery, which minimizes the side effects produced by the intake of the herbal extracts by oral route. From the clinical trials, it was observed that the activities of the herbal treated curative fabrics were lasted up to 10-15 washes for all the washable garments since the use of non-ionic detergents for washing which helped the garment to retain the curative performance. Conclusion In this work about 16 medicinal herbs such as neem, turmeric, holy basil, sandalwood, etc. have been selected for curing seven different diseases such as allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, asthma, liver disorders, headache, Jointspain, sinus trouble/cold. Hundred per cent cotton woven / knitted fabrics were treated with the selected medicinal herb extracts and 7 different types of curative garments have been developed. The developed curative fabrics of 7 different varieties have been tested as per standard test methods. The antibacterial assessment of the treated fabrics confirmed the correlation between the curative property and its
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antibacterial activity. The biochemical properties of the herbal extracts can be elucidated and its exact role in the mechanism of curing the disease can be well established. The present study is an alternative method of drug delivery, which minimizes the side effects produced by the intake of the herbal extracts by oral route. The results of clinical trials and doctor’s evaluation showed that, the curative performances of the garments in all the cases were found to be significant. From the clinical trials, it was observed that the activities of the herbal treated curative garments were lasted up to 10-15 washes for all the washable garments since the use of natural non-ionic detergents for washing by the patients. This work can be helpful in the development of low cost eco-friendly healthcare fabrics to the people who are having the discussed health problems. The curative garments approach can be taken as a support therapy for curing the diseases i.e. this can be taken along with the other treatments to speed up the healing process. Further researches can be focused on this area for the development of curative garments to heal other possible diseases with the application of suitable medicinal herbs and the use of latest technology. Acknowledgement The authors wish to thank the PSG management, Dr R Rudramoorthy, Principal and Dr.G.Thilagavathi, Head of Departments - Textile & Fashion Technology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, for their continuous support in this research work. The authors also thank Dr R Rajendran, Principal, and PSG College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore, Mr Bharathan, Natural Dyeing Unit, Gandhigram Trust, Gandhigram, Dindugal and Dr N S Shanmugavel, Gayathri Nature Cure Centre, Coimbatore for their help and support. References 1
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