**3. Antimicrobial agents**

#### **3.1 Volatile oils**

Volatile oils well known as Essential oils are plant derived concentrated hydrophobic and volatile compounds. They are a combination of different compounds such as carvacrol, eugenol, and cymene derived from aromatic plants. The best examples of essential oils are terpenoids and hydrophobic phenolic compounds [14, 15]. The hydrophobic nature of essential oils decides their activity mechanism against microbes. These essential oils break up into the bacterial plasma membrane lipid bilayer and then disrupt its structure. This alters the permeability of membrane to ions and other cellular contents. Consequently, the proton pump collapses and results in cell death [16].

Sadri and his team prepared PEO nanofibers/electro spun chitosan, to which they linked two distinct types of thyme essential oils into this nanofiber. They used broadleaf and narrow leaf thyme essential oils to their study. The nanofibers/chitosan along with the thyme oils were trialled against *P. aeruginosa* and *Staphylococcus aureus*. After 24 hrs, the inhibition of narrow life was reported as 8 and 15 mm were as in case of broad life it was 10 and 19 mm for *P. aeruginosa* and *S. aureus*, respectively.

**85**

*Electrospun Nanofibers: Characteristic Agents and Their Applications*

spices in the presence of above-mentioned bacteria's [17].

Accordingly, the broad leaf resulted in more antibacterial activity than narrow leaf

There are many studies that prove the potent antibacterial property of plantsderived herbal bioactive components against a wide range of food borne pathogens. The widely researched bioactive components with antimicrobial properties are gingerol, allicin, shikonin, asiaticoside, and curcumin etc. Curcumin (Cur) which is derived from the rhizome of *Curcuma longa* L. is well-known for its valuable properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer

Amongst metallic nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles are the most studied and

A research team formulated cellulose acetate nanofibers with the use of electrospinning methods. Cellulose acetate nanofibers were transformed into cellulose nanofibers using alkaline hydrolysis. In addition to this, silver nanoparticles were added to the cellulose nanofiber. Developed antibacterial silver cellulose nanofiber activity was examined against *E. coli* and *S. aureus* grown on Lysogeny broth [LB] medium. After 18 hrs of contacting 1% silver nanoparticles, the inhibition zone was spotted with 16- and 14.4-mm diameter against *E. coli* and *S. aureus*, respectively. Besides, it was also proved that antibacterial activities of the Ag nanofibers were directly influenced by the rising concentration of Ag nanoparticle contents [23].

ZnO appears to restrain the growth of strongly resistant bacteria. There are some reports about the significant antibacterial activity of ZnO, which is credited to the production of reactive oxygen species [ROS], causing the production of oxide

Since olden times, Copper has been used for manufacturing utensils as it is a powerful natural biocidal metal. When bacteria encounter copper, there will be cell wall deformation which causes the death of bacteria. To deal with bacteria, many researchers have developed a method where a polymeric matrix was supported with copper by electro-spinning [24]. Ahire and his research team used electrospinning of Poly-D and PEO, L-lactide method to combine Cu nanoparticles into nanofibers. Due to the presence of copper nanofibers, *S. aureus* and *P. aeruginosa* were reduced

For wound health, filtration, and active packaging systems antimicrobial nanofibers incorporated with antibacterial drugs have become one of the promising nano-scale materials. A vast range of antibacterial drugs such as peptides and antibiotics have been formulated physically or chemically within electro spun

by 50% and 40%, respectively after two days [25].

have been demonstrated to be the most effective antimicrobial agents. Ag is a known biocidal agent that is effective against a range of types of fungi, bacteria, and viruses; on the other hand, it is non-hazardous to human cells. The simplest and most frequently used method for combining Ag nanoparticles with electro spun nanofibers is the suspension of Ag nanoparticles directly into the electrospin-

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97494*

**3.2 Herbal bioactive components**

features [16, 18–20].

ning polymer solutions [21, 22].

**3.4 Zinc and copper**

**3.5 Antibacterial drugs**

substances.

**3.3 Silver**

Accordingly, the broad leaf resulted in more antibacterial activity than narrow leaf spices in the presence of above-mentioned bacteria's [17].
