Antimicrobial efficiency of functionalized cellulose fibres as potential medical textiles

This chapter presents an overview of methods for cellulose fibres functionalization in order to introduce antimicrobial activity. In view the need for ecologically friendly textiles antimicrobial finishing is introduced, together with some strategies for the functionalization of fibres using biodegradable polysaccharides such as the use of chitosan. Additionally, the methods used for the microbiological testing of these fibres are discussed and the current disadvantages of these methods indicated. Moreover, a new strategy for a reliable methodology regarding the antimicrobial testing of oriented fibre-based polymers such as cellulose is discussed, which could also be useful within several other polymer industrial fields.