FRUIT TO DYE: ORGANIC LIQUID DYE FOR CLOTHES USING RED DRAGON

FRUIT (Hylocereus polyrhizus)

A Research Presented to
The Faculty of Science Technology and Engineering of
RANIAG HIGH SCHOOL
Raniag, Ramon, Isabela

In fulfillment Of the Requirement for the subject

RESEARCH 1

By:
Dela Cruz, Zhai-Hann Leigh R.
Domingo, Princess Joy G.
Sicmaten, Brandon N.
Viernes, Renzo Miguel B.

September 2023-2024
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION AND THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Background of the study

Red Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus), a well-known fruit in Southeast Asia,

“Dragon Fruit” is derived from its unique appearance, where the spikes resemble fire and

scales resemble the dragon, as depicted in Chinese Mythology, Dragon Fruit’s origin was

unknown, but it is probably native in Central America. It has a beautiful perfect pink flesh and

tiny black seeds. Depending on its variety, Dragon Fruit colors can be purple or redder.

Dragon Fruit is among the nutritious and wonderful exotic fruit in the world, its

production is profitable enterprise and a promising means of raising the income of farmers in

the Philippines. In 1856, an 18 year old English chemist, William Henry Perkin, accidentally

discovered one of the first synthetic dyes, Perkin experimented with coal tar, a thick, dark

liquid by-product of coal-gas production, his experiment failed but left behind an oily residue

that stained silk a brilliant purple, he called it Mauve, the first name of dye. The first recorded

mention of fabric dyeing dates, all the way back 2600 BC. Originally, were made with natural

pigments mixed with water and oil used to decorate, skin, jewelry and clothing. Back then,

natural dyes were used on caves in places such as Spain. Today, 90% of clothing is dyed

synthetically, we can use it to dye clothes made out of cotton. Dyeing using plants has long

been part of the process of textile production. It is a tradition in itself, with knowledge and

techniques passed down to countless generations. It is amazing to think about how our early

ancestors discovered and developed the process of natural dyeing such as: knowledge can only

be gained through many years of exploration, discovery and experimentation. The global textile
dyes market was valued at USD 10.68 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR 4.7%

during the forecast period.

The dye is a coloring substance utilized for the dyeing of cloths such as cotton, nylon,

wool, silk, and other fabrics. These dyes incur chemical substances which are used to attain the

required color. The advantageous part of this study is that we can help other people make a

DIY dye using Dragon Fruit’s flesh at home, this dye only contains a natural pigments which

came from its own fruit, it is biodegradable, non-allergic and non-toxic. Betacyanin, a type of

pigment obtained from red Pitahaya / Pitaya can be used to meet the demand for natural Dye

production (Ow Phui, et. al. 2010).

Dye is a natural or synthetic substance used to add a color to or change the color of

something. The majority of natural dyes are derived from non- animal sources: roots, berries,

bark, leaves, wood, fungi, and lichens. (Burgess, 2017). The utilization of dyes in textile

industries has enormously increased in recent years and has created several environmental

problems. Currently, several methods are in practice to treat waste waters. Effective and

efficient treatment techniques before the discharge of used water in the Environment are the

need of the hour. (Donkadokula, et.al 2020).

Color, which contributes so much to the beauty of nature is essential to the

attractiveness and acceptability of most products used by modern society. As long ago the 25th

century BC man colored his surroundings and clothes using a limited range of natural colorants

of both animal and vegetable origin (Anliker et.al. 1980). In the last two decades the EPA and

other national and international agencies have placed increasingly strict regulations on

manufacture and use synthetic colorants. The pigment and dye industry has had to develop the

technology necessary to analyze and remediate pollutants in waste water. Environmental

chemistry of pigment and dyes is the first comprehensive reference to address the

environmental problems posed by synthetic colorants, to provide a forum for the solution

proposed by the industry, government and academia.

Objectives of the Study

This study generally aims to test the efficacy of organic liquid dye for clothes using Red

Dragon Fruit, specifically it aims:

1. To determine the most effective chemical/pigment dye for clothes.

2. To apply the natural Dye into clothes.

Scope and limitation

The study station will be confined at the Science Laboratory of Raniag, High School,

Red Dragon Fruit will be collected or bought at the Market in Ramon, Isabela. The fruit

extract of Red Dragon Fruit will only be used and other parts will be disregarded. This study

will focus on three different colors which is color red, pink, and purple, other concerns will

no longer be observed.
Definition of Terms

Profitable. Means things that are profitable to make money or beneficiary in other way.

Profitable is one that’s good for everyone involved, profitable started out as a word to

describe anything useful, but hooked up with finance.

Mordant/Mordanting. Is a compound used to hold down molecules or a stain onto a micro-

organism.

Synthetic dyes. Is a broad group of ingredients that have been chemically manufactured to

add vibrant, stable colors to product such as soaps, shampoos and mouthwashes. Many

synthetic dyes are derived from non-renewable coal tar or petrochemicals, which contains

carcinogens and can be eye, skin and lung irritants.

Natural dyes. Is use in denying it is probably the most ancient art of all times. People started

using natural dye as their first intellectual tool to portray their surroundings and themselves

by this art

Betacyanin. Is one of a group of red nitrogenous pigments found in certain plants, such as

beetroot. In short it is a type of think that obtains red or dark ride.

Enormously. Very great degree or extent; considerably. Lichens. a plantlike organisms

typically forms a low crusty leaf-like, or branching growth on rocks, walls, and trees.

Pitahaya / Pitaya. Any giant cactus of Central America and the SW United States, esp the

saguraro. Also called: dragon fruit the edible red pulpy fruit of such cacti, which has a mild

sweet flavor.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies both local from foreign and

local sources.

The Impact of Natural Dye Production

According to (Azarcon et. al. 2020) life is lifeless without color, the same goes with

clothes. A world without colorful clothes seems dull. If we check our history, then we will

find that the first recorded mention of fabric dyes is dated back to 2600 BC. In the historic

period, the dyes were made by mixing natural pigments with water and oil to color the

clothes. These same dyes are used to paint on the walls of the caves. Nowadays, 90% of the

clothes are dyed synthetically and naturally. That’s why most of the people are going green

inducing organic dye instead of chemical dyes. A dye is colored substance that has an affinity

for the substrate to which it is being applied.

Dyes are applied in an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the

fastness of the dye on the fiber. Natural dyes can be defined as those colors which are extracted

from a combination of vegetable, mineral, and insect sources. They are simply dyed substances

extracted from natural sources. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically

bind to the material they color. (Azarcon et. al. 2020) Exploration of alternative utilization of

natural dyes are inexpensive and have a high affinity for components of cells and tissues is

essential, so the use of leather dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) as a natural alternative dyes
are expected to produce natural coloring alternatives to replace the usual coloring. (Azarcon et.

al. 2020)

According to (Mukesh Kumar 2023) the benefits of natural dyes include not requiring

special maintenance, having beautiful and rich tones, acting as a help remedy, being easily

biodegradable, requiring a basic dye house to apply them to a matrix, and requiring only mild

reaction conditions for their extraction and use. He also said that it is advised to apply natural

dyes to textile materials. The use of natural dyes on a broad scale is supported by the ideas.

Furthermore, natural dyes are appealing to consumers since they do not affect the environment

because they are derived from natural sources. Biodegradable natural dyes can be disposed

without polluting the environment.

Factors Affecting the Natural Dye Production

To be clear, (Mukesh Kumar 2023) said that natural dying also has a drawbacks, such

as limited color availability, poor color output, complicated dying procedures, poor fastness

qualities, and difficulties combining hues. Compared to synthetic dyes, natural dyes may

require a greater quantity to color a certain amount of fabric. For instance, 5 grams of synthetic

dye can color 1 pound of cotton, while 230 grams of natural dye are required to color the same

amount of fabric. Because of this, natural colors cause more to use than synthetic dyes. Natural

dyes might also be rather toxic.

Hematein and hematoxylin, two components of logwood, can be hazardous if inhaled,

swallowed, or absorbed via skin. Another natural coloring sources called bloodroot, when

inhaled, can irritate and inflame the respiratory tract. More so, the application of natural dye

might require mordant. These compound can be hazardous even if they aid in the dye’s
adhesion to clothes. Metals like aluminum, copper, iron, and chrome are examples of mordants.

Used in natural dyes.

Another issue with natural dyes, is their availability. In can be difficult to produce because

the availability of raw materials, can vary from season to season, place, and species, whereas

as synthetic can be produce in laboratories all year round. While natural dye sources, are

renewable sustainability can still be an issue for natural dyes, because producing them require

vast areas of land. (Ramgsutra 2020)

The Chemical Properties of a Dragon fruit

Polyrhizus have a significantly high quantum of phenolics and antioxidant potential than

H. undatus. 100 g fruit contained about 120-200 mg K, 30-45 mg Mg, 20-45 mg Ca, 20-35

mg P, 0.70-1.5 mg Fe, and 0.20-0.40 mg Zn. (M Arivalagan et al. 2021) Betacyanin present

in the red pulped dragon fruit protect the mice from diet-induced obesity and its related

metabolic disorders (Song et al., 2016)

The red color of the pulp is mainly due to the presence of water-soluble nitrogen-

containing pigments called betanins such as isobetanin, phyllocactin, and hylocerenin, which

are antioxidants with radical scavenging ability (Stintzing et. Al, 2003).(Abd Hadi et al. 2012)

reported that the consumption of dragon fruit by type 2 diabetics substantially reduced the

levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol while it increased the levels of

HDL cholesterol.

It also significantly improves the insulin resistance in rats and decreases the blood

glucose level in type II diabetic subjects (Omidizadeh et al., 2014).