Laccaic acid
class of compounds
Laccaic acids or laccainic acids are a group of five anthraquinone derivatives, designated A through E, which are components of the red shellac obtained from the insect Kerria lacca, similar to carminic acid and kermesic acid. This article focuses primarily on laccaic acid A (LCA).
History
Etymology
The word lacquer goes back to the old Indian Sanskrit word laksha, meaning a hundred thousand lice, and came into German via the Italian "lacca" in the 16th century. The word also exists in Hindi (Lakh) and Sinhala (Lakda). The term Lac Dye comes from English "dye" means paint dye. This pigment is mostly found in South and South-East Asia.
Usage
Laccaic acids are mainly used to dye natural fabrics (mostly silk, wool, or cotton) and food, including both drinks and solid products. It is one of the most common natural dyes, but it is less used in cosmetics than carmine, the main natural dye used in this industry. The bright red colorant gives a lightfast tint to silk and wool. It is a similar color to dyes obtained from cochineals and kermes.
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This entry incorporates text from “Laccaic acid” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.