Development And Preliminary Evaluation Of Eco-Friendly Herbal Sanitary Napkins Fabricated From Flax Stem Fiber And Organic Cotton

Abstract

Menstrual hygiene management remains a critical public health and environmental concern, as commercial sanitary napkins predominantly rely on non-biodegradable synthetic materials that contribute to microplastic pollution and pose potential dermal health risks. This study aimed to develop and preliminarily evaluate an eco-friendly herbal sanitary napkin fabricated from flax stem fiber and organic cotton, incorporating a standardized polyherbal blend (neem, pomegranate rind, calendula, chamomile, aloe vera, vetiver, lavender, rose petals, cyperus, and mugwort) combined with chitosan at two concentrations (2% and F1; 4%, F2) to impart antimicrobial functionality. The fabricated napkins were assessed for absorbency, rewet behavior, fluid retention capacity, surface pH, antimicrobial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, mechanical properties, biodegradability (soil burial and composting), and phytochemical composition via GC–MS. Both formulations exhibited satisfactory absorbency (16.8–17.5 g/g), low rewet values (0.22–0.28 g), and favorable fluid retention (86.5–89.4%), with physiological pH compatibility (4.48–4.62). F2 (4% chitosan) demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity, achieving up to 3.1 log reduction against E. coli, along with significantly higher dry and wet tensile strength than F1. Soil burial and composting studies confirmed substantial biodegradation (>80% weight loss at 90 days; >60% compost biodegradation). GC–MS analysis identified 20 phytochemical compounds, dominated by oleic acid (27.22%) and linoleic acid (20.40%), supporting the observed anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and skin-conditioning properties of the formulation. These findings indicate that the flax stem fiber–organic cotton–herbal–chitosan system is a promising, sustainable, and biocompatible alternative to conventional synthetic sanitary napkins, warranting further large-scale performance and clinical evaluation.