Apocynum Fiber Antibacterial Properties

Apocynum venetum(AV) fiber is long, fine and white, which is a kind of good textile material. Products made from AV fiber are stiff, smooth and have excellent handle with good properties of moisture absorbency, air permeability. It combines cotton's soft, flax's smoothness and silk's luster in one. On the meanwhile it has medical treatment, health protection and antibacterial functions. They can restrain the increment of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Antibacterial textiles made by AV fiber are well received by domestic and international consumers. But at domestic and international research current situation at present, there is no clear answer on antibacterial property and mechanism of AV fiber. According to the forefather studies, this subject carried on the following research on the antibacterial property of AV fiber.(1) To obtain a microstructure view of AV fiber, ramie, hemp and cotton by SEM and AFM. Then we compare the fibril structure and measure the diameter of the fibrils. We also acquire the measurement of AV fiber's elementary fibril by scanning the fibril suspension, the basic unit of the fiber. The result shows that the different microstructure leads to the different mechanical properties, which leads to the antibacterial property.(2) Compare the flavonolids in AV bast and AV fiber by ESI-MS, and the results show that the flavonolids in AV bast become less or disappear in AV fiber. But some new peaks appear in the AV fiber's ESI-MS spectra. This shows that the AV's antibacterial property has no relation with flavonolids.(3) Test and compare the antibacterial property of AV bast, AV fiber, AV fiber distilled by ethanol, hemp, flax by flask-shaking test. Results show that AV fibers can restrain the increment of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. But the distilled AV fibers' antibacterial poeperites is apparently lowered. We can get the conclusion that the medicine ingredients existing in AV fiber can restrain the increment of bacteria.To sum up, the antibacterial mechanism includes several aspects as follows: the microstructure, the medicine ingredients and some other factors.