The extrusion of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres cannot be achieved by conventional extrusion processes due to its very high melt viscosity. To overcome this limitation, UHMWPE is first dissolved in a petrochemical to form a gel before extrusion. The petrochemicals used to dissolve the polymer then need to be removed using other chemicals making the process unfriendly to the environment. This article is focused on finding an environmentally friendly, natural solution to replace these chemicals and altering the process to potentially reduce the process cost.

Surgical sutures are important components of surgical operation and protection against post-surgical infections. The current in vitro study is an effort to evaluate the effects of antibacterial finishes extracted from natural sources, i.e. plants and herbs on natural fiber-based suture materials. These bioactive compounds are derived from Azadirachta indica (AI), Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (CT), Calotropis procera (CP), Prunus persica (PP), and Berberis lycium (BL), etc. All finishes were obtained by direct extraction method, and their effect was studied in this research. Two types of natural fiber materials, e.g. silk suture (SS, non-absorbable) and catgut suture (CS, absorbable), were selected. Mechanical properties were evaluated after application of the finish with concentrations of 50% and 100%, respectively. Antibacterial testing was also conducted for different finishes on both types of sutures, which provide promising results. In both types of sutures, mechanical properties and antibacterial properties were improved after application of herbal finishes. This paper highlights the possibility of using natural fiber sutures and bioactive finishes for imparting antibacterial wound care properties. The natural fibers and finishes will be helpful for reducing toxic treatments of sutures, which are hazardous to the environment.