In this study, the extraction efficiency of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) based on choline chloride as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and five different hydrogen bond donors (HBD; lactic acid, 1,4-butanediol, 1,2-propanediol, fructose and urea) was evaluated for the first time for the isolation of valuable bioactive compounds from Achillea millefolium L. The phytochemical profiles of NADES extracts obtained after ultrasound-assisted extraction were evaluated both spectrophotometrically (total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant assays) and chromatographically (UHPLC-MS and HPLC-UV). The results were compared with those obtained with 80% ethanol, 80% methanol, and water. The highest TPC value was found in the lactic acid-based NADES (ChCl-LA), which correlated with the highest antioxidant activity determined by the FRAP analysis. On the other hand, the highest antiradical potential against ABTS^+• was determined for urea-based NADES. Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers), flavones (luteolin and apigenin), and their corresponding glucosides were determined as the dominant individual phenolic compounds in all extracts. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of the extracts obtained against four bacterial cultures and two yeasts were evaluated using two methods: the agar dilution method to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC or MFC), and the disc diffusion method. ChCl-LA had the lowest MIC and MBC/MFC with respect to all microorganisms, with an MIC ranging from 0.05 mg mL⁻¹ to 0.8 mg mL⁻¹, while the water extract had the weakest inhibitory activity with MIC and MBC/MFC higher than 3.2 mg mL⁻¹.

Direct application of heavy metals as antibacterial agents can cause skin irritations and discoloration of the tissue and it can result in short-term applicability. One of the ways to solve these problems is to immobilize these agents on bentonite. Treatment of textile materials with such activated bentonite for use in various branches of industry has attracted the attention of many researchers in recent years. The objective of the present study was to develop a potential use of Cu- and Zn-modified bentonites as antibacterial finishing agents for two textile materials, non-woven textile (NT) and knitted fabric (PL). The bentonite samples were characterized using ED-XRF (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry), XRPD (X-ray powder diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), and BET (N₂ adsorption-desorption) analyses. SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ oxides were the main components of all bentonite samples indicated by ED-XRF analysis, while the XRPD analysis confirmed that the natural bentonite (NB) consisted of montmorillonite (Mnt) as the dominant mineral (peaks at 6.94, 19.94, 35.09, and 54.09°2θ) and small amounts of quartz and calcite. A reduction in the basal plane spacing, d₀₀₁, of Mnt occurred in Cu/Zn-B1, Cu/Zn-B3, and CuB, while in Cu/Zn-B2 and ZnB the basal spacing increased. Also, the size and form of particles and porosity changed, which was confirmed by the BET analysis. Modified bentonite samples experienced a reduction in the specific surface area and total pore volume, as well as movement of the middle mesopore diameter toward the larger diameters. The Zn-modified bentonite demonstrated a greater antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus than Cu- and Na-modified bentonite samples with a MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of 0.94 mg/mL, while among Cu/Zn bentonite samples, Cu/Zn-B2 had the strongest antibacterial effect (MIC 0.47 mg/mL). Cu/Zn-B2 was integrated on NT and PL using a screen printing method and showed good antibacterial activity. The printed NT showed better activity than printed PL, and increasing the concentration of applied Cu/Zn-B2 also increased the antibacterial properties.

This work presents the advantages of using ultrasound (US) in the procedure of antimicrobial functionalization of cotton knitwear. Ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive components from plant material reduced the extraction time by 40% and increased the degree of utilization by 12.5% in comparison with conventional extraction. By optimizing the H₂O₂ bleaching process, it was found that the application of ultrasound resulted in reducing the temperature from 100 °C to 60 °C, the processing time by 30 min and the H₂O₂ concentration from 4% to 2%, while retaining the same weight loss, the appropriate degree of whiteness with preserved mechanical properties compared with treatment carried out without using ultrasound. Dyeing with the plant extract of Achillea millefolium L. using the ultrasonic atomization resulted in even coloration and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with using minimum quantities of extract and 6.67 times shorter processing time in comparison with the bath exhaustion method.