Ethnobotanical inventory and evaluation of the dyeing potential of some species of Congolese Flora, sources of natural dyes among the Craftsmen of Brazzaville
International Journal of Development Research
Ethnobotanical inventory and evaluation of the dyeing potential of some species of Congolese Flora, sources of natural dyes among the Craftsmen of Brazzaville
Received 19th March, 2024; Received in revised form 27th April, 2024; Accepted 17th May, 2024; Published online 30th June, 2024
Copyright©2024, Aimé Bertrand Madiélé Mabika et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Extracts from certain plants provide the colouring and binding matter for dyeing. The aim of this study of the dye plants used by craftsmen in the Congo is to characterise the chemical groups with dyeing potential. To achieve this, an ethnobotanical study based on interviews was used to identify the species used by Brazzaville artisans. The ethnobotanical survey of 56 artisans revealed that 38 plant species belonging to 26 botanical families provide various colours that can be used by these artisans. Phytochemical studies of these plants revealed the presence of major groups of chemical compounds such as alkaloids, polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, quinone derivatives and coumarins, which are responsible for their dyeing properties.
