The production of saffron, a spice obtained from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae family) flowers, generates considerable quantities of waste containing natural dyes during pruning (1). It has been discovered that saffron petals, which are the most abandoned part in the flowers of saffron, contain anthocyanidins (mainly pelargonidin) responsible for the purple color of the flowers. This color oxidizes to flavanol (kaempferol), which gives a yellow color for aqueous extracts (3). It has been reported that cotton fabrics dyed with bio-dyes obtained from saffron flower waste showed good color fastness properties, which could be a potential source of natural antioxidant agents. This presents an important eco-friendly alternative for large-scale application in textile and food industries. Researchers believe that this bio-dye adds value for producers and provides an alternative to reduce the polluting effect of artificial chemical dyes used in the textile industry. The use of natural dyes significantly reduces both energy requirements and environmental impact (2). Naidis et al. (2) found that saffron successfully dyed not only natural substrates but also synthetic ones. The results also showed that saffron can successfully dye cotton and wool, behaving like a direct or acid synthetic dye commonly employed industrially for their dyeing. This property makes saffron potentially an ideal material for the textile dyeing industry, able to replace synthetic yellow colorants successfully.
Refrences:
- Lachguer, K., Boudadi, I., Fayzi, L., El Merzougui, S., El Bouchti, M., Cherkaoui, O. and Serghini, M.A., 2023. Natural extraction of dyes from saffron ‘Crocus sativus L’flower waste, cotton dyeing, and antioxidant effectiveness. Pollution, 9(3), pp.890-906.
- Naidis, P., Lykidou, S., Mischopoulou, M., Vouvoudi, E. and Nikolaidis, N.F., Study of the dyeing properties of Saffron and ultrafiltrated Saffron powders, as colourants for natural and synthetic fibres. Coloration Technology.
- Zeka, K., Ruparelia, K.C., Continenza, M.A., Stagos, D., Vegliò, F. and Arroo, R.R., 2015. Petals of Crocus sativus L. as a potential source of the antioxidants crocin and kaempferol. Fitoterapia, 107, pp.128-134.