Abstract

CHARACTERIZATION OF NATURAL PIGMENTS FROM SKIN EXTRACT OF VITIS VINIFERA L. AND IDENTIFICATION OF ITS APPLICATION POTENTIAL AS A NATURAL STAIN

Nandhini Jayasankar* and Jayalakshmi M.

ABSTRACT

Natural dyes have a history of being utilized for staining various biological tissues sourced from natural materials, with the added advantage of reducing costs associated with synthetic colorants and minimizing their adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the extraction of natural dye from Vitis vinifera L. (Black grapes) using different solvents and assess its staining efficacy on diverse plant tissues. The dye was extracted from the fruit peel employing a conventional chromatographic method. Pigment characterization was carried out through a decoction process at 95°C for 60 minutes, employing distilled water as the solvent. A novel method for stain formulation was devised, allowing for double staining with specific mordants. Plant tissues, cut to varying thicknesses, were stained with the prepared solutions for approximately 2 minutes. The staining potential was evaluated, and statistical significance was determined by counting the number of stained cells using the Chi-squared test. This investigation unequivocally demonstrates that the natural stain derived from V. vinifera supports an innovative and environmentally friendly staining approach that is non-toxic and reusable, ensuring its sustainable use for future generations.

Keywords: mordants. Plant tissues, cut to varying thicknesses, were stained with the prepared solutions for approximately 2 minutes. The staining potential was evaluated, and statistical significance was determined by counting the number of stained cells using the