Kerala Agricultural University identifies plants to make natural dyes

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.