Dalupang( Urena Lobata) as Potential Source of

Commercial Fibers

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

U. lobata was probably spread as a fiber crop and for

its medicinal properties by European voyagers during the

eighteenth century. In 1781, Linnaeus described Urena

Americana, a synonym of U. lobata, based on Jamaican and

Suriname elements, therefore documenting its occurrence in

the New World. By 1827, this species is reported as a

medicinal plant “widely” distributed across the West-Indies.

Later, this species is reported by H.F. Eggers in 1876 on St.

Croix Island (and by A. Stahl in 1884 as a “common species”

in Puerto Rico (Stahl, 2014). By the start of the twentieth

century, I. Urban in his book Symbolize Antillean, reported

this species for the islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola,

St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, Saba, Antigua, St. Kitts,

Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Vincent, Aruba, and

Trinidad.

U. lobata is considered “native” to Antigua, Barbados,

Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saba,

St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent (Broome et al., 2014),

Islands (Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012). However, in

Cuba this species is considered “exotic’ and its classified

as a noxious weed (González-Torres et al., 2012).

In Florida, this species was introduced before 1895 and

is reported as “escaped to waste places” before 1897 (Chapman,

1897). Currently, it is widely naturalized and is considered

as a category I invasive species, which are plants altering

native plant communities (Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council,

2011)

During the first part of the nineteenth century (1920-

1930) U. lobata was intentionally introduced as a fiber crop

in the Belgian Congo, Central Africa and South America. The

fiber extracted from this species is known as “jute”, “congo-

jute”, “urena” or “aramina” and is used to make carpets and

ropes (Austin, 1999; Francis, 2000; Ong, 2001).

Dalupang( Urena Lobata) is a weed abundantly found in

our locality its use are not so extensive except for its bark

which is soft pliable and strong and can be processed into

fibers that can be useful to varied needs of people in the

locality. Fibers are important material for clothing ropes

and other items. Source of fibers can be from plants, animals

or synthetic materials.
 With the recent crisis in the economy and environment

prices of fibers inflate especially the natural fibers. The

need find new sources of material is a significant move that

can substitute abaca, cotton bun and came fibers.

The researcher wanted to explore in this point utilizing

Dalupang Bark as fibers to be a great help for the people in

the country style.

B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The study seeks to answer the following problems.

1. Can Dalupang bark be a source of fibers?

2. Can Dalupang fibers be compared to rope (pisi) in

terms of tensile strength?

C. Statement of Hypothesis

Based on the foregoing research questions identified,

the researchers formulated the null hypothesis:

1. There is no significant difference in Dalupang

(Urena Lobata) as potential source of commercial

fibers.

D. Significance of the Study

The result of the study can hopefully give

the significant contribution to the new use of

Dalupang aside from being a herbal medicine. It hopes

providing new livelihood project in the community.

E. Scope and Limitations of the study

This study focused only to determining the

Dalupang (Urena Lobata) as potential source of

commercial fibers bark only.

F. Definition of Terms

Urena Lobata- commonly known as “Caesar weed” or

“Congo jute”, is an annual, variable, erect, ascendant

undershrub measuring up to 0.5 meters to 2.5 meters

tall. The stems are covered with minute, star-like

hairs and often purple.

Fibers- is a natural or synthetic substance that is

significantly longer that it is wide.

Basin-a bowl for washing, typically attached to a wall

and having faucets connected to a water supply; a

washbasin.

Tabo( pitcher)- The plastic tabo is an almost

indispensable fixture in the Filipino home.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Urena Lobata L. Calut-calutan ( tagalog), dalupang (

Bisaya) is an erect branched, shrubby plant 0.6 to 2.5m

high, exceedingly variable more or less pubescent, leaves

pale beneath, ovate to sub orbicular, 3 to 9 cm long

chordate, more or less toothed, or somewhat lobed or

angied, the lobes not extending beyond the middle of the

leaf, the sinuses usually broad acute. Flowers axillary,

solitary or somewhat fancied, pink, about 17mm in diameter,

the 5 carpets covered with short, retrosely barbed spines

(Menil, 2014). Dalupang in its local name can be source of

fibers. When processed well, the bark can produce quality

glossy fibers.

Plant fibers are sclerenchyma tissues. The

sclerenchyma tissues is composed of cells that are

functional upon maturity and mostly dead. Their very thick

secondary walls strength the plants body. They are tough

strong and flexible fibers. The vascular system are made up

of xylem cells and phloem cells, the primary xylem and

phloem cells made up the fibers that we find in plants,

plants fibers namely coarse and fine fibers. Coarse fibers

are made for rope making and fine fibers for clothing

(Capco, 2015). Dalupang (Urena Lobata) as potential source

of commercial fibers Styrofoam and powdered oyster shells

as tiles Strong fiber to replace abaca Banana peduncles

(Musa paradisiacal) as a potential source of packaging

papers V. Methane outputs of vegetable refuse( Renzorabara,

2015). U. lobata is a pan tropical weed which is also a

cultivated crop in many regions. As an aggressive invasive

plant it is included in the Global Compendium of Weeds, and

has been classified as a noxious weed in the United States,

Fiji, and Cuba (Randall, 2012).

METHODOLOGY

A. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

6-gram bark of Dalupang

6- Tabo( pitcher) of Water

Basin

B. PRODUCERS

a. Collect of matured Dalupang bark

About 6 grams of Dalupang bark were gathered

from Barangay and nearby barangay.

b. Fiber extraction

The Dalupang bark were soaked in a basin

with water for five to seven days until the

soft parts of the bark decomposed. The

extracted fibers were washed with running

water then hanged for drying.

c. Tensile Strength Test

Five Dalupang fibers were prepared at

random. Each strand of fibers and gradually

pulled down until the fibers break apart.

PREPARATION OF TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

PREPARATION OF POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL

TEST ORGANISM PREPARATION

INTRODUCTION OF PLANT EXTRACT TO

OBSERVATION OF MORALITY RATE