The Bacterial Life Cycle in Textiles is Governed by Fiber Hydrophobicity

Møllebjerg, Andreas; Gori, Klaus

doi:10.1128/spectrum.01185-21

Cited by 19 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 57 publications

(74 reference statements)

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“…It should be noted that biofilms in textile products have been generally evaluated by the number of live bacteria extracted from the yarn 16 , but we also used EPS quantification to evaluate the biofilm amounts. Compared with other methods such as measuring biovolume using microscopy 1 , EPS quantification is more suitable for capturing the characteristics of the entire biofilm present on textiles, as it allows for a more comprehensive quantification of biofilms. The quantitation enabled a precise evaluation of biofilms as well as various comparative analyses among the microbial abundances and biofilm components.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analysis of biofilm and bacterial communities in the towel environment with daily use

Kato

Okino

Kijitori

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Towels differ remarkably from other textile products in their fibre structure and usage, and microbial behaviours on towels remain underexplored. Thus, we evaluated biofilm formation on towels during use for 6 months in daily life and analysed its relationship with odour, dullness, and laundry habits. The towels exhibited odour and dullness after 2 months of use and biofilm structures were observed over the 6 months, especially in the ground warp part. Polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, and viable counts on the towels increased over time. The microbiota was significantly different from that on human skin and clothing. Several species of Alphaproteobacteria were correlated with dullness intensity and the quantity of biofilm components. Therefore, bacterial species that specifically adapt to the towel fibre environment could form biofilms. Our results demonstrate bacterial diversity in textile products and suggest careful consideration of the textile fibre material, structure, and usage pattern to control bacterial communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Various microorganisms are reported to adhere, grow, and secrete an extracellular matrix to form biofilms in environments such as textile product surfaces and gaps 1 . Although textile products are regularly washed for hygiene maintenance, washing has been proven insufficient in the removal of biofilm-forming microorganisms 2 , 3 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of biofilm and bacterial communities in the towel environment with daily use

Kato

Okino

Kijitori

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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“…35 Biofilm colonization of CTs occurs as bacteria from the skin get transferred along with sweat to the CT, and once the bacteria adhere to the textile, they form a biofilm, which is difficult to remove through conventional laundering. 36 ■ METHODOLOGY…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clothing Textiles as Carriers of Biological Ice Nucleation Active Particles

Teska,

Dieser,

Foreman

2024

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Microplastics have littered the globe, with synthetic fibers being the largest source of atmospheric microplastics. Many atmospheric particles can act as ice nucleators, thereby affecting the microphysical and radiative properties of clouds and, hence, the radiative balance of the Earth. The present study focused on the icenucleating ability of fibers from clothing textiles (CTs), which are commonly shed from the normal wear of apparel items. Results from immersion ice nucleation experiments showed that CTs were effective ice nucleators active from −6 to −12 °C, similar to common biological ice nucleators. However, subsequent lysozyme and hydrogen peroxide digestion stripped the ice nucleation properties of CTs, indicating that ice nucleation was biological in origin. Microscopy confirmed the presence of biofilms (i.e., microbial cells attached to a surface and enclosed in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix) on CTs. If present in sufficient quantities in the atmosphere, biological particles (biofilms) attached to fibrous materials could contribute significantly to atmospheric ice nucleation.

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“…The nature and composition of textiles are determinant parameters controlling colonization by skin microorganisms [16]. Bacteria adhere preferentially to artificial fibers such as polyamide and polyester and much less to natural fibers such as cotton [17,18]. This process is also modulated by the effect of textiles on the cutaneous microenvironment which directly affects skin physiology and sweat production [19] as well as cutaneous microflora composition [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas the association of microorganisms to textiles has been a major center of interest [18], the effect of textile fibers on cutaneous bacteria remains almost non-documented. Some natural fibers, such as flax, have been used since antiquity for their positive influence on skin [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cotton and Flax Textiles Leachables Impact Differently Cutaneous Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilm Formation and Cytotoxicity

Catovic

Abbès

Barreau

et al. 2022

Life

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Bacteria can bind on clothes, but the impacts of textiles leachables on cutaneous bacteria remain unknown. Here, we studied for the first time the effects of cotton and flax obtained through classical and soft ecological agriculture on the representatives S. aureus and S. epidermidis bacteria of the cutaneous microbiota. Crude flax showed an inhibitory potential on S. epidermidis bacterial lawns whereas cotton had no effect. Textile fiber leachables were produced in bacterial culture media, and these extracts were tested on S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Bacterial growth was not impacted, but investigation by the crystal violet technique and confocal microscopy showed that all extracts affected biofilm formation by the two staphylococci species. An influence of cotton and flax culture conditions was clearly observed. Flax extracts had strong inhibitory impacts and induced the formation of mushroom-like defense structures by S. aureus. Conversely, production of biosurfactant by bacteria and their surface properties were not modified. Resistance to antibiotics also remained unchanged. All textile extracts, and particularly soft organic flax, showed strong inhibitory effects on S. aureus and S. epidermidis cytotoxicity on HaCaT keratinocytes. Analysis of flax leachables showed the presence of benzyl alcohol that could partly explain the effects of flax extracts.

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The Bacterial Life Cycle in Textiles is Governed by Fiber Hydrophobicity

Abstract: During sweating, bacteria from the skin enter the worn textile along with the sweat. Once inside the clothes, the bacteria produce sweat malodor and form colonies that are extremely hard to remove by washing.

Cited by 19 publications

References 57 publications

Analysis of biofilm and bacterial communities in the towel environment with daily use

Analysis of biofilm and bacterial communities in the towel environment with daily use

Clothing Textiles as Carriers of Biological Ice Nucleation Active Particles

Cotton and Flax Textiles Leachables Impact Differently Cutaneous Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilm Formation and Cytotoxicity

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