Extraction of an eco-friendly natural dye from Eleutherine bulbosa (Miller) Urban bulbs, its application as a cotton fabric colorant and chemical characterization

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, natural dyes are gaining importance in textile dyeing applications as they are renewable and biodegradable. In the present study, we selected Eleutherine bulbosa bulbs as a source of natural colorant for dyeing cotton fabrics. Water was used for the extraction of dye, a step toward eco-friendly dyeing. The dyeing was carried out with different mordants and color fastness properties were determined. Relatively higher color strength values were obtained with Myrobalan fruit extract (Mfe- 4.267) and Pomegranate rind extract (Pre- 2.731) as mordants. With Mfe and Pre good color strength values were retained even after detergent wash (3.103 and 1.865) or light exposure (3.689 and 2.395). A combination of Eleutherine dye with turmeric extract was also experimented. Results showed better color strength values with Mfe (4.304) and Pre (3.120). The color retainability after detergent wash (2.960 and 2.100) or light exposure (4.186 and 2.911) was also good with these mordants. Results revealed that E. bulbosa could be used as a source of an ecofriendly dye for cotton fabrics, and the dye-fixing is most effective with the natural mordant myrobalan. The composition of dye extract was analyzed by LCMS technique, 15 compounds were detected, most of which are quinone derivatives.