Analyzing the Dyeing Property of Salvia leucantha Flowers

Abstract

Throughout history, people have dyed their textiles using common, locally available materials, but scarce dyestuffs that produced brilliant and permanent colors such as the natural invertebrate dyes. The current study focused on the isolation colouring molecule from the plant Salvia leucantha which is an ornamental plant with brilliant purple flowers. The flowers were extracted for dye and tested with cotton fibers. The source of pigmentation is identified as betacyanins belongs to the group of Betalains. It provides range of red shade to the cotton fiber.