Effect of different extraction methods on fiber quality of nettle (Urtica dioica L.)

Abstract

Chemical extraction, water retting, microbiological and enzymatic methods were applied on entire nettle stalks and/or unretted decorticated fiber of a selected fiber nettle clone. Morphological and mechanical properties and chemical composition were then determined on fiber samples. The first interesting result concerned the good degree of separation between fibers and shives obtained by mechanical scutching applied on stalks stored for 1 year, probably resulting from natural retting processes occurring during the storage. Microbiological retting (anaerobic plus aerobic bacteria) of entire stalks and/or unretted decorticated fiber produced fibers with a higher quality than water retting. Both enzymes used (Viscozyme Õ L and Pectinex Õ Ultra SP-L), improved fiber quality if EDTA was added. The enzyme vat retting gave good results on both water-retted fibers and unretted decorticated fibers, while the spray enzyme treated fibers usually displayed thicker diameter, lower cellulose content and, for Viscozyme Õ L, lower strength values, without differences between the two storage methods used after enzyme application.

Changes in the productivity of wild and cultivated stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) as influenced by the planting density and crop age

“…After 40 years, the plants (30 clones) Bredemann bred during that period were started to be cultivated again at the Institute of Applied Botany, Hamburg, Germany between 1992 and 1995 (Dreyer et al, 1996). planting density and crop age Recently stinging nettle has become the subject of scientific interest in many countries throughout Europe: Austria, Germany, Finland, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Latvia and Lithuania (Bacci et al, 2010;Bisht et al, 2012). The first investigations of stinging nettle in Lithuania gave promising results (Jankauskienė, Gruzdevienė, 2008;2013).…”

“…Natural fibres have gained renewed interest over the last decade due to their varied uses in textiles, composites, handicrafts, packaging, etc., and consumer demand for environmentally sustainable and traceable processing chains (Bacci et al, 2010).…”

“…Nettle crop requires low agronomic inputs so is highly feasible for organic farming, as a perennial crop it reduces soil erosion, and being a nitrophilous species it recovers over-fertilized soils (Bacci et al, 2010).…”

Great Potential of Stinging Nettle for Sustainable Textile and Fashion

“…Economic development of the nettle processing community of Nepal has been through proper marketing strategy and exporting the fashion textile and handicraft products to Europe and America. Bacci et al [10] also supported that for sustainable handicraft products from nettle it is very essential to go for enzymatic retting to obtain best quality fibre. Deokota and Chhetri [34], reported in their research the handloom and handicrafts are moved side-by-side to promote nettle-based products in Nepal.…”

“…They concluded that considering the environmental impact and other related aspects, the enzymatic process is the best among these three methods of fibre separation of nettle fibres whereas the chemical treatment leads to environmental pollution and steam explosion required huge amount of heat energy. Considering the above aspects, Bacci et al [10] have experimented different methods of retting and fibre extraction. From their studies it can be confirmed that both controlled microbiological retting with the combined use of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria and vat enzymatic retting, especially when a solution of Pectinex Ultra SP-L with EDTA (ethylene di-amine tetraacetic acid) was used, led to improvement in fibre quality.…”