Sustainable Development of Antibacterial Knitted Fabric Using Ulva Lactuca Extract and Cow-Urine Pretreatment

An increase in marine algae as natural sources of bioactive chemicals has been one of the immediate results of the growing need for sustainable functional textiles. This article assesses the antibacterial properties of Ulva Lactuca extract and its use as an environmentally friendly finishing agent on cotton-bamboo knitted fabrics. Ethanolic Soxhlet was used to extract fresh seaweed from the Kurumpanai shore in Tamil Nadu, India, following verification. Flavonoids, carbohydrates, reducing sugars, and volatile oils were found in the phytochemical screening, showing a metabolite profile with possible antibacterial importance. Characteristic absorption peaks at 280 nm and 220 nm have been recorded using UV-visible spectroscopy, which is indicative of conjugated structures and aromatic compounds that can provide UV-absorbing characteristics. The liquid extract has shown inhibition zones of 16 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 14 mm against Escherichia coli. Similarly, when this liquid extract was applied for the determination of antibacterial activity by the Kirby Bauer method, the inhibition zones measured 16 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 14 mm against Escherichia coli. On treatment, the cotton-bamboo fabric showed enhanced activity on being applied as a finish and thus gave rise to inhibition zones measuring 19 mm and 17 mm, respectively. This improved performance of the final fabric indicates that the bioactive components of the extract are effectively coated and stable on the textile substrate. In general, results support the potential of Ulva Lactuca as a natural antimicrobial finishing agent for environmentally friendly textile applications, especially in sportswear, undergarments, and medical textiles.