Extraction and Characterization of Natural Dye from a Flowering Plant, Acalypha wilkesiana

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigated the extraction and characterization of natural dye from Acalypha wilkesiana leaves for textile dyeing purposes. The dye extract exhibited a pH of 4.95, a yield of 3.33%, and a black hue. It exhibited solubility in both hot and cold water. The UV-visible spectrophotometric analysis revealed a maximum absorbance of 1.274 at 400 nm in ethanol extracts, along with further absorption peaks at 500 nm, 600 nm, and 850 nm, so verifying the presence of chromophoric molecules. Phytochemical analysis identified tannins, saponins, flavonoids, and terpenoids as main constituents contributing to the colouring properties. An rf value of 0.8 in thin-layer chromatography indicated effective mobility of the dye components. The application of the dye on cotton and polyester materials with mordanting produced diverse colour shades. Sodium dichromate produced a light brown, ferrous sulphate yielded a silver-grey, and copper sulphate resulted to a khaki brown hue. The analysis of fastness properties revealed that several mordant-fabric combinations exhibited moderate to high light fastness (3-4 to 4-5) and moderate wash fastness (3-4). The findings suggest that A. wilkesiana could function as a sustainable natural dye for textiles, offering environmentally beneficial alternatives to synthetic dyes while maintaining adequate light and wash fastness for commercial dyeing purposes.