Agri-Food Extracts Effectiveness in Improving Antibacterial and Antiviral Properties of Face Masks: A Proof-of-Concept Study

The European dependencies for raw materials supply from foreign countries have been unquestionably shown by COVID-19 outbreak and have become particular evident from the slow response to the need for high quality personal protective equipment (PPEs). Among all medical devices, surgical face masks have earned themselves a primary role for the containment of the epidemic. In this context, our work aims at improving the barrier effect of surgical mask by depositing on their external surface a mixture of bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols, extracted from agronomical sources. The main objective is the integration of the biorefining of agri-food solid wastes with the potential virucidal properties of the polyphenolic extracts for the treatment of PPEs.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted Europe's reliance on raw materials supply from foreign countries and the slow response to the need for high-quality personal protective equipment (PPEs). This study aims to improve the barrier effect of surgical masks by depositing bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols, on their external surface, integrating the biorefining of agri-food solid wastes with potential virucidal properties for treating PPEs.