Vol. 9, Issue 10, Part B (2025)

Growing concerns over the environmental impact of synthetic dyes have accelerated research into renewable, plant-based colorants. This study aimed to optimize alkaline extraction of natural dye from arecanut (Areca catechu L.) husk using temperature and extraction time as key process variables. A factorial completely randomized design (FCRD) was employed with four temperature levels (70, 80, 90, and 100 °C) as the main treatment and five extraction durations (60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min) as the sub-treatment. The efficiency of each extraction combination was assessed based on dye yield, color value (K/S), and tannin concentration. Statistical analysis revealed significant effects of both temperature and time, as well as their interaction, on all response parameters. Among the tested combinations, extraction at 80 °C for 120 min produced the highest pigment yield, maximum color strength, and elevated tannin content compared with other treatments. The optimized conditions demonstrated improved extraction efficiency while minimizing energy and chemical inputs, thereby enhancing the environmental sustainability of the process. The findings confirm arecanut husk as a promising bioresource for eco-friendly textile dyeing and provide a reproducible framework for scaling alkaline extraction methods to other plant-based residues. This study highlights the potential of applying statistically optimized processes to improve natural dye production and support circular bioeconomy initiatives in the textile sector.