METHOD FOR MAKING FIBER CONTAINING ACTIVE INGREDIENTS FROM CHINESE HERB

Abstract

A method for making a fiber containing active ingredients from a Chinese herb. The method includes subjecting a fiber material, which is to be combined with active ingredients from the Chinese herb, to be swelled with a solvent of cellulose and then to be impregnated in a solution of an extract of the Chinese herb. The fiber material is a cellulose fiber or a spunlaced nonwoven fabric made thereof. The method requires no use of adhesives. With the method, the fiber material does not need to be subjected to acidic or basic solutions or high temperature, which would cause the active ingredients to be decomposed. The method can provide a cellulose fiber or a nonwoven fabric made thereof, both of which have a higher content of active ingredients from a Chinese herb and higher durability. Furthermore, the method is simple and is easy to control, and thus, suitable for mass production.

Claims

1. A method for making a fiber containing active ingredients from a Chinese herb, the method comprising: subjecting a fiber material, which is to be combined with active ingredients from the Chinese herb, to be swelled with a solvent of cellulose and then to be impregnated in a solution of an extract of the Chinese herb, wherein, the fiber material is a cellulose fiber or a spunlaced nonwoven fabric made thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulose fiber is one of viscose fibers and cotton fibers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent of cellulose is an aqueous N-methyl-morpholine-N-oxide solution having a concentration of 50 to 70 wt. %.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber material is swelled with the solvent of cellulose for 1 to 10 minutes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber material is swelled with the solvent of cellulose at a temperature of 70 to 90° C.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Chinese herb extract solution has a concentration of 2 to 10 wt. %.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the fiber material is a cellulose fiber: after the impregnation, subjecting the cellulose fiber to coagulation via a coagulation bath, washing, and then drying so as to obtain a composite of the cellulose fiber and the Chinese herb extract.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the fiber material is a spunlaced nonwoven fabric made of cellulose fibers: after the impregnation, subjecting the nonwoven fabric to coagulation via a coagulation bath, washing, and then drying so as to obtain a composite of the nonwoven fabric and the Chinese herb extract.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the Chinese herb extract is selected to have antibacterial activities.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the Chinese herb is one or more of Artemisia argyi, Aloe vera, Sarcandra glabra, Ionicera japonica, and Mentha canadensis.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Various terms used hereinafter to describe the examples of the present disclosure will be understood to have the meaning known to persons of ordinary skill in the art, unless otherwise defined. The reagents used in the following examples are all customary ones unless otherwise indicated. Also, experimental processes employed in the examples may be performed in any conventional manners unless otherwise indicated.

EXAMPLE 1

[0016] A viscose fiber (having a white color) was impregnated in an aqueous NMMO solution having a concentration of 70 wt. % at 90° C. for 20 min so that the surface of the viscose fiber was partly swelled. After the fiber was removed from the solution and cooled to room temperature, it was impregnated in an Artemisia argyi extract solution having a concentration of 50 g/L for 5 min. After removal from this solution, the fiber was coagulated via an aqueous coagulation bath at room temperature. Thereafter, the coagulated fiber was washed and then dried. Finally, a composite of the viscose fiber and the Artemisia argyi extract, having a gray green color, was obtained. It was found that the composite obtained had a content of Artemisia argyi extract of 3 wt. %, and exhibited obvious inhibiting effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bacteriostasis rate reaching 93% and 90%, respectively.

EXAMPLE 2

[0017] A viscose fiber (having a white color) was impregnated in an aqueous NMMO solution having a concentration of 60 wt. % at 90° C. for 20 min so that the surface of the viscose fiber was partly swelled. After the fiber was removed from the solution and cooled to room temperature, it was impregnated in an Artemisia argyi extract solution having a concentration of 75 g/L for 5 min. After removal from this solution, the fiber was coagulated via an aqueous coagulation bath at room temperature. Thereafter, the coagulated fiber was washed and then dried. Finally, a composite of the viscose fiber and the Artemisia argyi extract, having a gray green color, was obtained. It was found that the composite obtained had a content of Artemisia argyi extract of 5 wt. %, and exhibited obvious inhibiting effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bacteriostasis rate reaching 95% and 91%, respectively.

EXAMPLE 3

[0018] A cotton fiber (having a white color) was impregnated in an aqueous NMMO solution having a concentration of 60 wt. % at 90° C. for 20 min so that the surface of the cotton fiber was partly swelled. After the fiber was removed from the solution and cooled to room temperature, it was impregnated in an Artemisia argyi extract solution having a concentration of 50 g/L for 5 min. After removal from this solution, the fiber was coagulated via an aqueous coagulation bath at room temperature. Thereafter, the coagulated fiber was washed and then dried. Finally, a composite of the cotton fiber and the Artemisia argyi extract, having a gray green color, was obtained. It was found that the composite obtained had a content of Artemisia argyi extract of 2.5 wt. %, and exhibited obvious inhibiting effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bacteriostasis rate reaching 90% and 85%, respectively.

EXAMPLE 4

[0019] A viscose fiber (having a white color) was impregnated in an aqueous NMMO solution having a concentration of 50 wt. % at 70° C. for 20 min so that the surface of the viscose fiber was partly swelled. After the fiber was removed from the solution and cooled to room temperature, it was impregnated in an Artemisia argyi extract solution having a concentration of 50 g/L for 8 min. After removal from this solution, the fiber was coagulated via an aqueous coagulation bath at room temperature. Thereafter, the coagulated fiber was washed and then dried. Finally, a composite of the viscose fiber and the Artemisia argyi extract, having a gray green color, was obtained. It was found that the composite obtained had a content of Artemisia argyi extract of 2.2 wt. %, and exhibited obvious inhibiting effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bacteriostasis rate reaching 88% and 80%, respectively.

EXAMPLE 5

[0020] A viscose fiber (having a white color) was impregnated in an aqueous NMMO solution having a concentration of 60 wt. % at 90° C. for 40 min so that the surface of the viscose fiber was partly swelled. After the fiber was removed from the solution and cooled to room temperature, it was impregnated in an Artemisia argyi extract solution having a concentration of 50 g/L for 5 min. After removal from this solution, the fiber was coagulated via an aqueous coagulation bath at room temperature. Thereafter, the coagulated fiber was washed and then dried. Finally, a composite of the viscose fiber and the Artemisia argyi extract, having a gray green color, was obtained. It was found that the composite obtained had a content of Artemisia argyi extract of 5.5 wt. %, and exhibited obvious inhibiting effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bacteriostasis rate reaching 95% and 91%, respectively.

EXAMPLE 6

[0021] A viscose fiber was impregnated in an aqueous NMMO solution having a concentration of 60 wt. % at 90° C. for 20 min so that the surface of the viscose fiber was partly swelled. After the fiber was removed from the solution and cooled to room temperature, it was impregnated in a Sarcandra glabra extract solution having a concentration of 75 g/L for 5 min. After removal from this solution, the fiber was coagulated via an aqueous coagulation bath at room temperature. Thereafter, the coagulated fiber was washed and then dried. Finally, a composite of the viscose fiber and the Sarcandra glabra extract was obtained. It was found that the composite obtained had a content of Sarcandra glabra extract of 4.5 wt. %, and exhibited obvious inhibiting effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bacteriostasis rate reaching 90% and 87%, respectively.

EXAMPLE 7

[0022] A viscose fiber was impregnated in an aqueous NMMO solution having a concentration of 60 wt. % at 90° C. for 20 min so that the surface of the viscose fiber was partly swelled. After the fiber was removed from the solution and cooled to room temperature, it was impregnated in an Aloe vera extract solution having a concentration of 75 g/L for 5 min. After removal from this solution, the fiber was coagulated via an aqueous coagulation bath at room temperature. Thereafter, the coagulated fiber was washed and then dried. Finally, a composite of the viscose fiber and the Aloe vera extract was obtained. It was found that the composite obtained had a content of Aloe vera extract of 4 wt. %, and exhibited obvious inhibiting effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bacteriostasis rate reaching 89% and 84%, respectively.

EXAMPLE 8

[0023] A spunlaced, but not yet dried nonwoven fabric made of cellulose fibers was impregnated in an aqueous NMMO solution having a concentration of 70 wt. % at 90° C. for 20 min so that surfaces of the cellulose fibers of the nonwoven fabric were partly swelled. After the fabric was removed from the solution and cooled to room temperature, it was impregnated in an Artemisia argyi extract solution having a concentration of 75 g/L for 5 min. After removal from this solution, the fabric was coagulated via an aqueous coagulation bath at room temperature. Thereafter, the coagulated fabric was washed and then dried. Finally, a composite of the fabric and the Artemisia argyi extract was obtained. It was found that the composite obtained had a content of Artemisia argyi extract of 3 wt. %, and exhibited obvious inhibiting effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bacteriostasis rate reaching 90% and 86%, respectively.

[0024] Although the present disclosure has been described above with respect to particular embodiments, the scope of the disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described above. Furthermore, the embodiments should be considered to be illustrative and not limiting. It will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.