Agri-Food Extracts Effectiveness in Improving Antibacterial and Antiviral Properties of Face Masks: A Proof-of-Concept Study

The European dependencies for raw materials supply from foreign countries have been unquestionably shown by COVID-19 outbreak and have become particular evident from the slow response to the need for high quality personal protective equipment (PPEs). Among all medical devices, surgical face masks have earned themselves a primary role for the containment of the epidemic. In this context, our work aims at improving the barrier effect of surgical mask by depositing on their external surface a mixture of bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols, extracted from agronomical sources. The main objective is the integration of the biorefining of agri-food solid wastes with the potential virucidal properties of the polyphenolic extracts for the treatment of PPEs.