Abstract

Nowadays, applying natural, biodegradable, non-toxic, and bioactive materials is the first choice of food, biomedical, cosmetic, and textile industries. Due to this reason, this research focused on the preparation of a biomaterial sheet using natural material and with a low-cost method. Firstly, a silk floss sheet (SFS) was prepared using the waste cocoons by degumming, opening up, and finishing process. Afterward, the biodegradable ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) was successfully grafted onto SFS using citric acid (CA) through the pad-dry-cure method. Then, Iranian herbal essential oils (Shirazi thyme and Dermaneh) were loaded into the cavities of ß-CD molecules. Then, the samples were investigated using SEM and elemental analysis. The inclusion complex formed between the herbal essential oils and the ß-CD cavity (HEOs- ß-CD) was also evaluated using high-sensitivity analyses of FTIR, XRD, and UV–Visible. Furthermore, free HEOs and HEOs- ß-CD inclusion complex were assessed for their ability to scavenge the 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, and the results showed that the HEOs- ß-CD inclusion complex can improve antioxidant activity compared to the free HEOs. The antimicrobial activity of the prepared SFS was also determined against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans by quality and quantity methods. The results have shown that the modified SFS has a high resistance against the mentioned microorganisms. In addition, the SFS had no negative effect on the viability of the Vero cell line. It seems that the ß-CD-SFS loaded with essential oils can be a good candidate for biomaterial applications and controlled release systems.