Carmine (/ˈkɑːrmɪn/ or /ˈkɑːrmaɪn/), also called crimson lake or carmine lake, cochineal, natural red 4,C.I. 75470, orE120, is a pigment of a bright-red color obtained from the aluminium salt of carminic acid; it is also a general term for a particularly deep-red color of the same name
Contents
Uses
Carmine can be used as a staining agent in histology, as a Best’s carmine to stain glycogen, mucicarmine to stain acidic mucopolysaccharides, and carmalum to stain cell nuclei. In these applications, it is applied together with a mordant, usually an Al(III) salt.
Carmine was used in dyeing textiles and in painting since antiquity. It is not very stable in oil paint, and its use ceased after new and better red pigments became available.
Cautions
Carmine is used as a food dye in many different products such as juices, ice cream, yogurt, and candy, and as a dye in cosmetic products such as eyeshadow and lipstick. Although principally a red dye, it is found in many foods that are shades of red, pink, and purple. As a food dye it has been known to cause severe allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock in some people.
Interactions
None are recorded.
Other names
crimson lake or carmine lake, cochineal, natural red 4,C.I. 75470, orE120
References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine