Scientists have created an antimicrobial pad that can eliminate sweat odor thanks to sweet-smelling chemicals in wine and chocolate. According to researchers from the University of Tokyo, the invention opens up opportunities for the production of clothes that do not need to be constantly washed in a washing machine.
The new coating is a “cocktail” of silver and plant compounds (polyphenols) called tannins. They are found in many foods and drinks such as tea, coffee, wine and chocolate.
“As is often the case with children, one day my son got chocolate on his shirt and I couldn’t get the stain off. I have been studying polyphenols with Professor Hirotaka Ejima for over a decade, but this incident with chocolate made me think about using tannic acid to bind silver to tissues,” said project leader Dr. Joseph Richardson.
The scientist said that they managed to find two methods for applying an antimicrobial silver coating to textiles.
“Silver is a safe antimicrobial agent. Consumers can wash items with this coating several times and it will not lose its ability to eliminate odors, ”added Richardson.
According to the researchers, the AgTA coating is economical and convenient. This means that people working from home can continue to wear the same shirt without suffering from bad breath.
“Spring will come in a few days, and summer will follow – with it trips to the beach, walks in the fresh air and, of course, sweat will return to our lives! We hope that commercial apparel or fabric manufacturers can simply bathe AgTA-coated textiles to create odor-fighting garments. In addition, people will be able to spray the coating on their clothes. The most interesting thing is not the ease of application, but the effectiveness of the coating. We want to study the effect of the antimicrobial coating not only on odor-causing bacteria, but also on fungi and viruses,” the scientist said.
