Zeitschrift für Textilwissenschaft und -technik

Development of Antibacterial Silk Sutures Using Natural Fungal Extract for Healthcare Applications

Abstract

Parthiban M, Thilagavathi G and Viju S

The purpose of the study was to treat silk sutures with natural fungal pigment namely Thermomyces of different concentrations 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5%, and to analyse its effect on the properties of silk sutures such as tenacity, knot strength, friction and antimicrobial activity. The result showed that the pigment concentration in the selected range has no significant effect on friction, tenacity and knot strength of silk sutures. Antimicrobial test results showed that as the pigment concentration increases the antimicrobial activity also increases against both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. At 2.5% concentration, a zone of inhibition of 10 mm and 14 mm are observed against E. coli and S. aureus respectively. Silk suture treated with optimum concentration of the natural fungal pigment is appropriate to retard the exponential growth of S. aureus, a gram-positive bacterium and E. coli a gram-negative bacterium and hence silk sutures can be developed with the required characteristics for healthcare applications.