Abstract
In the present scenario of environmental consciousness, the new quality requirements not only emphasize on the intrinsic functionality and long service life of the product but also a production process that is environment-friendly. Therefore, research on environment-friendly antimicrobial agents based on natural products for textile application is gaining worldwide interest. This paper reports a comprehensive review on natural product based bioactive agents such as chitosan, natural dyes, neem extract and other herbal products for antimicrobial finishing of textile substrates. Different classes of active ingredients found in extracts of natural products and their mechanism of antimicrobial action have been presented. The major challenges and the future potential of application of natural products on textiles have also been critically reviewed.