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Indigo carmine or indigotine is the name of the same substance currently obtained by synthesis, although such a dye has natural roots. Since ancient times, it has been extracted from some plants of the genus Indigo, which is widespread in Africa, America and India. Indigo was used to dye various fabrics blue. First synthesized in the nineteenth century, artificial dye began to win its place under the sun and soon completely replaced natural pigment from everyday life. It is the synthetic substance that is very popular at the present time, no one has been extracting indigo carmine in a natural way for a long time. But the chemical dye indigotine has found its application in the food and textile industries, in medicine and pharmaceuticals, cosmetology and other industries.
What is such a synthetic additive? Does it benefit or harm the human body? You can find out about this by reading the following suggested article.
Brief description of food additive E132
Food supplement E132 is called indigo carmine or indigotin. Synthetic name – disodium salt of indigo-5,5′-disulfonic acid. The substance has the molecular formula: C16H8N2Na2O8S.
This artificial dye looks like a powder, sometimes small crystals of a bright blue color. This substance is obtained by sulfonation of indigo, as a result of which the disodium salt of indigo-5,5′-disulfonic acid is formed. To do this, formaldehyde and aniline initially react with each other, forming molecules of N-phenylglycine. After they are fused with potassium and sodium amide, oxidized and sulfonated under pressure. Then, ready-made indigotine is isolated and subjected to thorough purification.
Its color varies from blue to yellow depending on the pH level. Indigo carmine dissolves very well in water, giving it a rich blue tint. Also, this substance is sensitive to light and completely unstable to its effects.
In nature, there is a natural source of this dye, but despite this, it is the synthetic analogue that has become very popular in everyday life. It is the chemical that is used in various areas of life to this day.
Useful and dangerous properties of indigo carmine
This dye, as a food additive, is approved for use and production in many countries of the world, with the exception of Norway. And this is even after it was found that indigo carmine causes some harm to human health.
This synthetic dye is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Its use can lead to allergic reactions, manifested in the form of a skin rash, hives, itching and burning, increased sensitivity of the skin, arrhythmia.
In some cases, its use leads to high blood pressure and problems with the respiratory system. It is often associated with increased activity and behavioral changes in some people.
It is undesirable to use such an additive in food for children, pregnant and lactating mothers. Also, with improper production or violations of technology in the production of food products in which indigotin is present, some negative reactions appear in the body.
These include:
- severe nausea and vomiting;
- violation of the heart rhythm and the work of the heart muscle;
- severe asthma attacks, especially in those who suffer from asthma;
- general weakness of the body.
Many sources talk about the carcinogenic properties of the food additive, but there is no scientific evidence for this.
In addition, it is known for certain that when conducting studies on rats, indigo carmine was used.
Animals were given about two grams of this substance per kilogram of body weight. This went on for quite a long period of time and the synthetic dye did not cause any mutations or negative effects. And in the food industry, indigotine is used in much smaller quantities.
The use of synthetic dye indigo carmine
In fact, indigo carmine is a fairly popular and sought-after dye in many industries.
It is indispensable in the food industry. Its effective coloring properties are used in the manufacture of pastries and confectionery. The dye E132 is widely used in the production of soft drinks, most of which are packaged in glass. It is often used to color liqueurs, where it is used both as an independent substance and in combination with other dyes. Also, with the help of indigo carmine, ice cream is colored.
Such a synthetic dye is in demand in the medical industry. With its help, it has become much easier to conduct diagnostic studies that help determine the excretory function of the kidneys.
In addition, it is used in industries such as:
- gynecology – for the diagnosis of fistulas;
- gastroenterology – to detect small lesions of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract;
- vascular surgery – for diagnosing lymphostasis;
- oncology – for chromoscopy;
- surgery – for staining fistulous passages.
Such a dye is indispensable for histological studies.
The E132 dye has found its place in the pharmaceutical industry, where it is used to color capsules or tablets to give them the desired shade.
E132 is also used for cosmetic purposes. It has proven itself especially well as one of the components that make up hair rinses.
Indigo carmine is used in the chemical industry, where it is used as an acid-base and redox indicator, as well as a reagent.
It is used to produce ink and determine the presence of nitrates in an acidic environment.
However, in the textile sector, he lost his advantage, due to the instability of the color of various fabrics. In addition, a large number of higher-quality analogues with fairly stable staining indicators have now appeared.
Instead of conclusions
Indigotin or indigo carmine is a synthetically derived dark blue dye used in various industries, including food production, as a food additive E132. It is known for certain, but such a substance does not bring any benefit to the human body, but with the negative consequences, things are somewhat different. Some unpleasant reactions to the intake of this dye have been identified, especially when it is manufactured with violations of the technological process. But usually these reactions appear when using large doses of the substance for a rather long period of time. However, this food supplement is considered safe and is allowed at the state level in almost all countries of the world community.