Natural dyes are known for their use in colouring of food substrate, leather, wood as well as
natural fibers like wool, silk, cotton and flax as major areas of application since ancient
times. Natural dyes have a wide range of shades that can be obtained from various parts of
plants, including roots, bark, leaves, flowers and fruits
Since the advent of widely available and cheaper synthetic dyes in 1856 having moderate to excellent colour fastness properties, the use of natural dyes having poor to moderate wash and light fastness
has declined to a great extent. However, recently there has been revival of the growing
interest on the application of natural dyes on natural fibers due to worldwide environmental
consciousness