BIO COLOURS

Biocolours

Biocolour word consists of two words bio meaning natural and color meaning anything which is used for coloring purpose.

Biocolour is a dye obtained from any vegetable, fruits, and plant, microorganisms, animal or mineral, that is capable of coloring food, drugs, cosmetics or any part of human body.

The production of the synthetic colorants is economically efficient is technically advanced but many artificial synthetic colourants,usually used in foodstuff,dyestuff,cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, causes various hazardous effects like toxic diseases such as cancer and other behavioral problems in children.

To counteract the ill effects of synthetic colorants, there is worldwide interest in process development for the production of pigments and colors from natural sources.

Sources:
Biocolourants are structurally much diversified and from a variety of sources.
Main sources are:
Plants (flowers, fruits, etc….)
Animals (cochineal)
Microorganisms (Monascus, Bacillus etc…)

POTENTIAL SOURCES OF BIOCOLOURS:
Annatto
Anthocyanins
Beta-carotene
Battalions
Caramel
Carthamus
Lute in
Monascus
Turmeric
Vegetable carbon

APPLICATIONS:
Pharmaceutical
Beverages
Textile and printing
Dairy industry
Food colors
cosmetics

– NITHYA LAKSHMI

II YR CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

RAJALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE