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This paper investigates the feasibility of dyeing viscose rayon fabric with an anthocyanin solution extracted from H. sabdariffa L. calyces. For eco-friendly dyeing and improvement of the natural dye's affinity to fabrics, natural mordants instead of traditional metallic mordants were applied. The effect of natural mordant types and mordanting procedures (pre-, meta- and aftermordanting) was evaluated by colorimetric measurement (CIE Lab and K/S values) and color fastness. Four natural mordants including alginate, walnut hull, lemon peel, and pinecone were used. The results show that the light and wash fastness (1-2 degrees according to the blue scale and the grayscale) of the un-mordanted viscose fabric were very low and unsuitable. Natural mordants, especially walnut husk and alginate, could improve color strength and color fastness. The light fastness value of the dyed fabric was improved, reaching a value of 5-6 in the presence of walnut, lemon, and pinecone mordants. The highest wash and light fastness was obtained when the aftermordanting method was used. Also, the use of walnut husk mordant increased the color strength and decreased the lightness of the dyed fabrics, as compared to other natural mordants, in all three methods of mordanting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comfort properties of a textile cannot be dissociated from its function. Considering this premise, we evaluated the physical and mechanical performance of a previously developed cosmeto-textile composed of cotton/elastane, functionalized with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and BSA/silk fibroin (BSA/SF) nanoemulsions, encapsulating α-tocopherol (vitamin E). The surface functionalization of cotton fabrics with the nanoemulsions was confirmed by fabric staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue R250 and by FTIR-ATR. The comfort properties including wetting, stiffness, stretching, draping ability, electrical resistance, and air and vapor permeability were evaluated. The results revealed that the functionalization of cotton fabrics with the developed protein-based nanoemulsions did not disturb the comfort properties of the textile material nor its functionality. This gives a good indication of the potential of the developed breathable cosmeto-textile to be used in contact with the human body with acceptable performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles of BSA and silk fibroin (SF) with entrapped α-tocopherol were produced via ultrasonic emulsification. Populations with particle size of 200-300 nm and highly negatively charged were obtained for all the tested formulations. Entrapment efficiencies of around 99% revealed the effective encapsulation of α-tocopherol into the produced nanoformulations. Generally, these nanodevices did not induce significant cytotoxicity to human skin keratinocytes for all the concentrations tested. The developed formulations showed free radical scavenging of ABTS.+ ability resulting from the synergistic effect between the proteins in formulation and the entrapped tocopherol. Overall, the results contribute for the establishment of BSA:VO and BSA:SF:VO as biodegradable and non-toxic nanoformulations for the functionalization of textile devices and controlled delivery of tocopherol into the skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]