development and assessment of a nisin/chitosan composite as an antibacterial coating for polyester fabric

This study investigates the structural and antimicrobial properties of a polyester textile-based hybrid nisin-chitosan (n/cs) coating formulation. scanning electron microscopy (sem) confirmed the even dispersion of the coating, and fourier-transform infrared (ftir) spectroscopy revealed characteristic chitosan (3400 cm -¹, 1030–1155 cm -¹) and nisin (3150–3450 cm -¹, 1656 cm -¹, 1537 cm -¹) peaks, confirming successful coating incorporation. antimicrobial activity was evaluated against bacillus cereus, pseudomonas aeruginosa, escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus, enterococcus faecalis, and listeria monocytogenes using broth dilution and agar diffusion test. bacterial viability was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced by n/cs coatings in broth tests, with b. cereus being the most sensitive (100% inhibition, +44.45% vs. control 55.55%), followed by e. coli (+24.85%), e. faecalis (+20.09%), s. aureus (+18.78%), l. monocytogenes (+6.118%), and p. aeruginosa (+2.75%). the fixation process yielded mixed results, with retention percentages averaging 93.6% (ranging from 68.30% for e. faecalis to 122.09% for p. aeruginosa), and gains observed for p. aeruginosa and l. monocytogenes. washing reduced activity, with retention averaging 79.8% (ranging from 65.16% for e. faecalis to 106.85% for p. aeruginosa), implying strain-dependent stability. the mtt assay revealed minimal cytotoxicity, with n/cs-coated fabrics showing a 20.6% reduction in fibroblast viability, which was comparable to that of the controls (p ≥ 0.05). these findings highlight the potential of n/cs coatings for antimicrobial textiles while emphasizing the need for improved fixation to enhance washability. this study investigates the structural and antimicrobial properties of a polyester textile-based hybrid nisin-chitosan (n/cs) coating formulation. scanning electron microscopy (sem) confirmed the even dispersion of the coating, and fourier-transform infrared (ftir) spectroscopy revealed characteristic chitosan (3400 cm -¹, 1030–1155 cm -¹) and nisin (3150–3450 cm -¹, 1656 cm -¹, 1537 cm -¹) peaks, confirming successful coating incorporation. antimicrobial activity was evaluated against bacillus cereus, pseudomonas aeruginosa, escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus, enterococcus faecalis, and listeria monocytogenes using broth dilution and agar diffusion test. bacterial viability was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced by n/cs coatings in broth tests, with b. cereus being the most sensitive (100% inhibition, +44.45% vs. control 55.55%), followed by e. coli (+24.85%), e. faecalis (+20.09%), s. aureus (+18.78%), l. monocytogenes (+6.118%), and p. aeruginosa (+2.75%). the fixation process yielded mixed results, with retention percentages averaging 93.6% (ranging from 68.30% for e. faecalis to 122.09% for p. aeruginosa), and gains observed for p. aeruginosa and l. monocytogenes. washing reduced activity, with retention averaging 79.8% (ranging from 65.16% for e. faecalis to 106.85% for p. aeruginosa), implying strain-dependent stability. the mtt assay revealed minimal cytotoxicity, with n/cs-coated fabrics showing a 20.6% reduction in fibroblast viability, which was comparable to that of the controls (p ≥ 0.05). these findings highlight the potential of n/cs coatings for antimicrobial textiles while emphasizing the need for improved fixation to enhance washability.