Development of Bioactive Cotton, Wool, and Silk Fabrics Functionalized with Origanum vulgare L. for Healthcare and Medical Applications: An In Vivo Study

Abstract

Background: This study presents an innovative approach to developing bioactive natural fabrics for healthcare and medical applications. Methods: An ethanol extract of Origanum vulgare L. (in further text: OE), exhibiting exceptional antioxidant (100%) and antibacterial activity (>99% against E.coli and S.aureus), was employed to biofunctionalize cotton, wool, and silk fabrics. Results: All biofunctionalized fabrics demonstrated strong antioxidant activity (>99%), while antibacterial efficacy varied by fabric: cotton > 54%, wool > 99%, and silk > 89%. OE-biofunctionalized wool possessed the highest release of OE’s bioactive compounds, followed by silk and cotton, indicating substrate-dependent release behavior. This tunable fabrics’ OE release profile, along with their unique bioactivity, supports targeted applications: OE-functionalized silk for luxury or prolonged therapeutic use (skin-care textiles, post-surgical dressings, anti-aging products), cotton for disposable or short-term use (protective wipes, minor wound coverings), and wool for wound dressings. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of OE-biofunctionalized wool were evaluated via in vitro assays using healthy human keratinocytes and in vivo testing in Wistar albino male rats. The obtained results revealed that OE-functionalized wool significantly accelerated wound closure (97.8% by day 14), enhanced collagen synthesis (6.92 µg/mg hydroxyproline), and improved tissue and systemic antioxidant defense while reducing oxidative stress markers in skin and blood samples of rats treated with OE-biofunctionalized wool. Conclusions: OE-biofunctionalized wool demonstrates strong potential as an advanced natural solution for managing chronic wounds. Further clinical validation is recommended to confirm its performance in real-world healthcare settings. This work introduces an entirely new application of OE in textile biofunctionalization, offering alternatives for healthcare and medical textiles