Natural Antimicrobial Agent Treatments

Natural antimicrobial agents derived from plants, insects, and microorganisms include essential oils (thymol, carvacrol, eugenol), plant extracts (neem, aloe vera, turmeric, tea tree), and compounds like nisin and lysozyme. Applied to textiles via microencapsulation (melamine-formaldehyde or polyurea shells, 5–50 µm), exhaustion, or pad-dry-cure at 1–5% owf. Thymol MIC of 0.1–0.5 mg/mL against S. aureus provides 2–4 log reduction. Controlled release from microcapsules extends efficacy to 20–30 wash cycles. Market for natural antimicrobial textiles is growing at 12% CAGR, driven by consumer preference for non-synthetic biocides in baby, intimate, and organic apparel segments.