Antimicrobial Natural Cellulose Fibers from Hyptis suaveolens for Potential Biomedical and Textiles Applications

Abstract

In this research, tulsi (wild type) stalks were treated with NaOH to obtain natural cellulosic fibers. X-ray diffractions showed typical cellulose diffraction peak at 22.7°. The fibers had a tensile strength of 445 MPa, higher than fibers obtained from other agricultural residues. The fibers also displayed good thermal stability up to 300℃ making it suitable for a wide range of applications. The fibers inherited the antimicrobial properties from the stalks and showed high activities against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The extracted fibers could be used in composites and manufacturing tents and canvas.

Keywords

• hyptis suaveolens
• tulsi
• stems
• natural cellulose fibers
• antibacterial activity