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Author Spotlight: An Antimicrobial Fabric Using Nano-Herbal Encapsulation of Essential Oils
Published on: April 7, 2023
Antimicrobial Lipstick: Bio-Based Composition against Viruses, Bacteria, and Fungi
Alberto Tuñón-Molina1,2, Alba Cano-Vicent1,2, Ángel Serrano-Aroca2
1Doctoral School, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has speeded up the race to find materials that could help limit or avoid the spread of SARS-CoV-2, while infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi are now becoming a serious threat. In this study, we developed a novel bio-based lipstick containing cranberry extract, a substance able to inactivate a broad range of microorganisms: enveloped viruses such as bacteriophage Φ6, a surrogate of SARS-CoV-2; non-enveloped viruses including bacteriophage MS2; multidrug-resistant bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Mycobacterium smegmatis, a surrogate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; and the Candida albicans fungus. The proposed antimicrobial lipstick offers a new form of protection against a broad range of microorganisms, including enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, bacteria, and fungi, in the current COVID-19 pandemic and microbial-resistant era.
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