Kerala Agricultural University has identified 12 plants for making natural dyes capable of colouring cotton and silk textiles. The study was undertaken as part of a Western Ghats Development Project at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani.
“The study has opened up the possibility of using indigenous plants as potential dye yielders. We are looking forward to a technology for industrial production of natural dyes for the textile industry,'' said vice chancellor P Rajendran in a release by KAU.
He said that the hazardous effects of chemical dyeing have provoked a rethinking now and the KAU effort is along these lines.
According to the release, the technology will be of great value in the development of eco-friendly and safe clothing, especially for new-born babies and people allergic to synthetic dyes. The biochemical properties of these natural dye compounds have also been identified, which will help to identify the biomolecules in them.
