Antibacterial effects of two Tunisian Eucalyptus leaf extracts on wool and cotton fabrics

The present work deals with the antibacterial properties of textile fabrics when treated with two Eucalyptus leaf extracts. Dried Eucalyptus leaves, i.e. E. odorata and E. cinerea species, were macerated in a mixture of acetone-water to obtain enriched tannins and flavonoids extracts. The thermal stability of these extracts was investigated by UV-spectrophotometry. The antibacterial effects of these tannins and flavonoids, once fixed on wool and cotton fabrics, were measured against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria using the Agar diffusion method. Only woven fabrics treated with E. odorata extract displayed antibacterial properties that were more significant on wool than on cotton. The laundering durability of this treatment was also evaluated, demonstrating that the antibacterial properties decreased with the number of laundering cycles but more quickly on cotton than on wool fabrics.