Carmine

• Carmine
• Cochineal
• E 120
• C. I. 75470

Red odorless solid

Fixed

Almost insoluble in water

Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search is not possible

Carmine is an organic red dye. Are calcium and aluminum salts of the carminic acid. The term is derived from the originally Persian word for kermes scarlet berry. Common are also the names of crimson, scarlet, cochineal ( cochineal ). For the color paint by, while names such as Florentine paint, paint ball, paint Munich, Paris or Vienna lacquer paint. The achieved with this dye color is also known as scarlet.

History

In Europe, the dye mixture under the name Kermes living from the on roots of evergreen oaks such as the Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.) Kermes scale insects was ( Kermes vermilio Planchon ), from the Polish Kermeslaus ( Porphyrophora polonica L.) or from the Armenian Kermeslaus ( Porphyrophora hamelii Brandt ), which can be found on the roots of certain grasses, won. The use of the Kermes scale insect is attested since the early Iron Age ( Hallstatt culture), for example, from the princely grave of high village.

After the discovery of America was exploited in Central and South America living from the females on the prickly pear cactus ( Opuntia ) Cochenilleschildlaus ( Dactylopius coccus Costa) produced color. The Cochenilleschildlaus should be naturalized in the Canary Islands, it failed because you had imported the wrong Opuntienart.

One kilogram of cochineal yields approximately 50 grams of carmine. The dried cochineal contain about 14% carmine.

Production

The dye is obtained from female scale insects. One kilo of over 100,000 scale insects are necessary. To obtain the color of the lice are dried and boiled in water with the addition of a little sulfuric acid. The scarlet is then precipitated, washed and dried by the use of alum and a little lime. By the pan-grinding, it is possible to use as the pigment Carmine ( lakes ). Today, instead of Carmine usually a synthetic dye used.

Use

Carmine is a - relatively high - a replacement for the purple of the worm and produces scarlet to crimson or purple hues.

Carmine was used for dyeing fabrics, applying cosmetics or for painters colors. With the Note, lipsticks were made ​​from lice blood, was like trying to discourage young girls from their use. Besides lipsticks formerly Campari received its red color of the cochineal insects.

Rouged lips with lipstick

As a painter, color carmine is only a little fading. It was often used as a watercolor, but also for glazes.

Since the development of synthetic dyes the importance of cochineal and carmine is greatly diminished. Cochineal is approved as a food colorant E 120 and can be used in colored drinks and sweets.

A good surrogate is Cochineal Red A, a not uncontroversial, under E 124 registered azo dye which is approved for food and cosmetics stain.

Carmine is suitable for fixing and simultaneous staining of chromosomes ( they are dark black-red ) in microscopy ( for genetic studies ).

Toxicology

When inhaled, can cause real Carmine as aeroallergen asthma. Even when taken orally allergic reactions have been reported to anaphylaxis, which IgE antibodies were detected by RAST and immunoblot.