Indigo Carmine in a Food Dye: Spectroscopic Characterization and Determining Its Micro-Concentration through the Clock Reaction

Comprehensive Review of Cyclamen: Development, Bioactive Properties, and Therapeutic Applications

Plants are being researched as potential sources of novel drugs, which has led to a recent acceleration in the discovery of new bioactive compounds. Research on tissue culture technology for the synthesis and processing of plant compounds has skyrocketed, surpassing all expectations. These plants can be bought either raw or as extracts, where some of the chemicals are extracted by mashing the plant in water, alcohol, or another solvent. The use of herbal medicine may open new chances for reducing the onset of infections and treating different diseases including cancer. A perennial plant that blooms in the winter, Cyclamen, is one of the most widely used potted flowers in many nations. Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, saponins, sterols, and glycosides are the main active components of Cyclamen. Analgesic, cytotoxic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties have all been demonstrated as potential effects of various extracts of Cyclamen tubers. However, the use of this medicinal plant in official medicine will require further research in the areas of pharmacology. Furthermore, it is necessary to create standard operating procedures for a crude herbal medication. In this regard, this review aims to highlight the key characteristics of the Cyclamen plant, such as its various parts, species, stages of development, and geographic range; pinpoint its intriguing bioactivities, its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and its anti-cancerous effects; and ascertain its potential medicinal uses and the main future perspectives.

Interaction of food colorant indigo carmine with human and bovine serum albumins: A multispectroscopic, calorimetric, and theoretical investigation

In this work we have studied the interaction of the food dye Indigo-Carmine (IndC) with the most studied model transport proteins i.e. human and bovine serum albumin (HSA & BSA). A multispectroscopic approach was used to analyze the details of the binding process. The intrinsic fluorescence of both the albumins was significantly quenched by IndC and the quenching was both static and dynamic in nature with the former being dominant. The HSA-lndC and BSA-IndC distance after complexation was determined by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) method which suggested efficient energy transfer from the albumins to IndC. Thermodynamics of serum protein-IndC complexation was estimated by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) which revealed that the binding was enthalpy driven. Circular dichroism (CD) and FTIR spectroscopy revealed that the binding of IndC induced secondary structural changes in both the serum proteins. Synchronous and 3D fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the binding interaction caused microenvironmental changes of protein fluorophores. Molecular docking analysis suggested that hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions are the major forces involved in the complexation process.

Indigo Carmine: Between Necessity and Concern

Dyes, such as indigo carmine, have become indispensable to modern life, being widely used in the food, textile, pharmaceutical, medicine, and cosmetic industry. Although indigo carmine is considered toxic and has many adverse effects, it is found in many foods, and the maximum permitted level is 500 mg/kg. Indigo carmine is one of the most used dyes in the textile industry, especially for dyeing denim, and it is also used in medicine due to its impressive applicability in diagnostic methods and surgical procedures, such as in gynecological and urological surgeries and microsurgery. It is reported that indigo carmine is toxic for humans and can cause various pathologies, such as hypertension, hypotension, skin irritations, or gastrointestinal disorders. In this review, we discuss the structure and properties of indigo carmine; its use in various industries and medicine; the adverse effects of its ingestion, injection, or skin contact; the effects on environmental pollution; and its toxicity testing. For this review, 147 studies were considered relevant. Most of the cited articles were those about environmental pollution with indigo carmine (51), uses of indigo carmine in medicine (45), and indigo carmine as a food additive (17).