From plant to fabric: Environmental opportunities associated with annatto dye for sustainable development in the textile industry

Abstract Natural dyes are compounds that occur naturally in several organisms and are classified based on chemical structure and application method. The literature cites several natural dyes used in industrial transformation processes. Annatto dye is used in the food industry, and its biological pigment is extracted from the annatto seed. However, this dye has shown a high number of potential applications in the textile industry. Annatto dye shows excellent stability and more attractive coloration in the textile process than other natural dyes described in the literature. In addition, the versatility of annatto dye makes its application possible in natural, artificial and synthetic fibres in both dyeing and printing processes. In this review, we provide an overview of the current situation with regard to the potential of annatto dye for the textile industry and its sustainable aspects. The classification, stability and applications in natural and synthetic fibres, as well as the effect of using mordants and process conditions in natural and synthetic fabrics dyeing, and the printing process using annatto dye, are reported, to explore a topic with potential for expansion and application in the textile industry. In addition, strategies to improve washing and light fastness are identified, along with a proposal for the molecular interactions occurring between textile fibres and annatto dye.