Natural dyes used by the byak tribe and its prospects as raw materials for the natural dyes industry

Abstract

Dyes have been widely used by communities for various purposes, such as a compositional ingredient in food, customs, or traditional activities and crafts. The types and methods of usage are highly dependent on the presence of plants and animals found around residential areas and there are also several exotic species that are assimilated and come from other ethnic groups. The aim of this study is to determine the types of plants that produce natural dyes used by the Byak community in Biak Numfor Regency as handicraft dyes and the prospects for cultivating these plants as a source of raw materials for the natural dye industry. The research showed that the Byak ethnic community used eight species of plants as dye materials for handycraft products such as Asytasia gangetica (L)., Melastoma maladatthricum (L), Arcangelisia flava (L) Merr, Morinda citrifolia (L), Philantus sp., Macaranga tessellate var glabrescens, Mallotus floribundus (Blume) Mull.Arg., and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L) Lank. From all the species Asystasia sp. is easier to cultivate using stem cuttings and is relatively fast-growing.