<![CDATA[The increasing global oil prices, declining petroleum reserves, and escalating environmental issues have reignited interest in the exploration of natural fibers and the development of sustainable and renewable technologies. Sansevieria trifasciata is a widely available plant in Indonesia, known for its relatively high cellulose content. However, no prior studies have investigated the retting of Sansevieria trifasciata fibers using enzymatic methods. This study aims to characterize the fibers obtained through retting with the aid of xylanase enzyme. In this research, Sansevieria trifasciata leaves were subjected ti enzymatic retting using xylanase. For comparison, a conventional water retting method was also employed as a control. The resulting fibers were evaluated based on their morphological characteristics, fiber length, fineness, tensile strength, moisture regain, and functional groups, the latter analyzed using FTIR. The enzymatic retting process required 14 days to complete, whereas the water retting method took 17 days. The fiber yield was 1.58% of the initial leaf mass. The fibers exhibited an almost round oval cross-section and a cylindrical longitudinal profile. The average fiber length was 50.11 cm, with a fineness of 4.78 tex, tensile strength of 3.16 g/den, and a moisture content of 9.73%. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of Si–O related groups at approximately 1050 and 600 cm-1, indicating the presence of a silica structure in the sample, while the absorption band at approximately 2350 cm-1 can be attributed to CO2 molecules. In conclusion, enzymatic retting using xylanase was found to be more efficient than the traditional water retting method. The results suggest that Sansevieria trifasciata leaves have significant potential as an alternative source of natural fiber for use in textile yarn production.]]>
