Botanical Name - Alkanet tinctoria Part Used - Root Common Names/Synonyms -
Bugloss, spanish bugloss
root, orchanet root,
Alkanet Root, dyer's
bugloss root.
Alkanet root is
obtained from
Alkanna tinctoria,
Tauscher (N.O.
Boragineoe), a small
herbaceous plant
with perennial root
growing in sandy
soil in southern
Europe, Hungary, and
Asiatic Turkey, our
supplies being
derived chiefly from
Hungary.
Description
The drug consists of
deep reddish purple,
simple, tapering
roots averaging
about 15 cm. in
length, and 12 mm.
in thickness near
the crown, to which
slender branches and
the remains of
leaves are attached;
the latter have a
purplish colour, and
bear numerous,
bristly hairs.
The root has a very
remarkable
appearance. The
outer layers, which
are deeply coloured,
easily exfoliate,
separating from the
wood in large,
papery flakes or
strips; these are
readily removed, and
the exterior of the
root is then the
inner layers of
cortical tissue. It
is not smooth but
more or less deeply
furrowed
longitudinally, the
furrows being often
so deep as to divide
the wood into
separate woody
strands. Cut
transversely in the
upper part the root
exhibits a dark
violet spot in the
centre, and a woody
ring containing
several radiating
strands of dense
woody tissue
separated by large
wedge-shaped masses
of parenchyma; the
bark is yellowish
near the wood, but
becomes coloured and
laminated towards
the exterior. From
near the crown of
the root downwards
the violet spot in
the centre becomes
larger and the
colouring matter in
the bark penetrates
deeper until by
their union the
separation of the
strands of wood is
complete.
The root when
handled stains the
fingers red. It has
no perceptible odour
or taste.
The students should
observe
(a) The dark reddish
purple colour of the
parenchymatous
tissue and whitish
colour of the wood,
(b) The hairy
remains of the
leaves.
Propagation and
Planting
It requires
moderately fertile,
humus rich, moist
but well drained
soil. The seeds
germinate in 1-3
weeks at room
temperature. Or you
can sow them outside
in July so that they
can establish
themselves in the
fall and then flower
in the spring -
plants grown that
way will be larger.
It likes full sun
and moist soil.
Common alkanet is a
short-lived
perennial or
biennial, depending
on conditions,
forming a rosette of
leaves the first
year and flowering
the second year. It
gets 1-4ft/.3-1.3m
tall and is hardy
down to -30F/-34C
(zone 4).Harvest the
roots before the
flower stalk
appears.
Uses
Alkanet is used for
colouring oils,
ointments, &c; the
tincture, diluted
with an equal volume
of water, is used
for the
microscopical
detection of fat and
oil, which it
colours red.
Medicinal
Applications
It helps the morphy
and leprosy. It
stays the flux of
the belly, kills
worms and helps the
fits of the mother.
Its decoction made
in wine, and drank,
strengthens the
back, and easeth the
pains thereof. Used
to treat digestive
difficulties such as
ulcers and also
helps liver
functions, clearing
up jaundice and
treating kidney
stones. When used to
make an ointment, it
can treat wounds
such as snake bites
by either applying
topically directly
to the site or
ingesting orally.
Can also relieve
skin inflammation,
such as smallpox or
measles. An ointment
made of it is
excellent for green
wounds, pricks or
thrusts.
Traditionally used
to soften and smooth
the skin.
Preparation of Lake
Pigment
Pigments and dyes
are not identical,
although there are
cases in which the
same coloring matter
which yields a dye
or stain may give
rise to a pigment. A
pigment is, in fact,
a substance which is
insoluble in the
vehicle with which
it is mixed to make
a paint, while a dye
is soluble. A lake
pigment is a natural
organic pigment
prepared when a dye
has been
precipitated on a
powdered, colorless,
inorganic substrate.
The term derives
from the Latin word
lacca, used in the
Middle Ages to
denote both lake
pigments and the Lac
dye. Because of its
transparency,
aluminum hydroxide
is the most commonly
used substrate or
carrier. Barites,
such as barium
sulfate, provide an
opaque lake pigment.
Other compounds used
as carriers are:
chalk, clay, gypsum,
tin oxide, zinc
oxide, white earth,
and green earth.
Often a mordant,
such as tannic acid,
lactic acid, or
sodium phosphate, is
used to fix the dye
to the substrate.
Alkanet Root Powder
A natural botanical
powder ready for
infusion in oil.
Powdered alkanet
root can be used as
a soap dye and will
colour
red/blue/mauve
depending on the pH.
Alkanet will colour
CP or HP soap from
ared/purple to
blue/purple
depending on the pH
of the soap. If you
discount the water
content, the colour
tends to be a more
red/purple. When
using base Oils with
more yellow such as
Mango butter and
Rice Bran Oil, or
Orange and Mandarin
Essential Oils these
will subtly alter
the final colour.
As an approximate
guide, infuse 1 - 2
tablespoons into
100ml of Olive Oil.
You can also infuse
into water using one
of our Heat Sealable
Tea bags (don't
overload the bags -
1 tablespoon per
large teabag). We
recommend a double
or triple infusion
for the best
results. See our
Recipes page for
infusion
instructions. This
quantity of infusion
will colour
approximately 1.5kg
of soap.
Alkanet can also be
stirred through soap
at trace to have a
more speckly result.
History
Alkanet root
apparently has been
used as a dye since
the earliest
recorded history.
The first reported
use can be found in
the works of the
Greek botanist and
scholar Theophrastus
(c. 300 B.C.) and
around 77 C.E.,
Dioscorides
described the
properties of the
red dyestuff in more
detail in his De
Materia Medica. The
Stockholm Papyrus or
Papyrus Graecus
Holmiensis, details
dyestuffs and
techniques in almost
a recipe fashion as
it was practiced
Egypt in the third
and fourth centuries
C.E. The great
detail in which the
preparation of the
fibers and the
dyeing materials and
the dyeing process
itself are recorded
has led scholars to
believe that it had
to have been
practiced for
thousands of years
previously in order
to raise the process
to such a science
and art. It
discusses mordanting
the fibers using
alum, copper and
iron oxides to
darken or "sadden"
the red, blue, green
and purple dyes, as
well as the
occasional use of
tin and zinc. It
describes over ten
different recipes
for using alkanet (Anchusa
tinctoria) root as a
dye. In dyeing,
alkanet root gives
burgundies and
purples in an
alkaline dye bath.
Extracting first
with alcohol
enhances the color
and then adding the
extract solution to
pre-mordanted wool
or silk in a dye
bath. Precipitated
on a inert base,
alkanet root yields
a purple lake
pigment. It is also
used in varnishes
for fine wood
products, such as
violins.
Oil Absorption and
Grinding
No data has been
published on the oil
absorption and
grinding qualities
of lake pigments
made from alkanet
root.
Permanence and
Compatibility
Lake pigments made
from alkanet root
are considered to be
fugitive.
Toxicity
The
essential coloring
matter of the
alkanet root is
considered to be
non-toxic.
Quality Assurance
As we believe in
providing quality
products that are
close to nature, we
conduct various
stringent quality
tests under the
supervision of the
experts. These tests
are performed with
due care from the
very initial stage
of procurement of
the products to the
final stage of
delivery to the end
users.
Packaging
We also provide
reliable packaging
of the Alkanet root and other
Alkanet root products.
During the packaging
procedure, we keep
the hygienic level
high and also ensure
that there is no
human touch.
Moreover, the
packaging has also
helped in the easy
and safe delivery of
the products.
We are dealing with
various esteemed
clients located in
India as well as in
the markets of New
Zealand and Dubai.
We also promise to
serve a superlative
range of Alkanet
root
and Alkanet root
products which
includes green
Alkanet root powder to
our new customers as
we serve to our
existing satisfied
clientele. The
frequent and
concrete feedbacks
from our customers
have also helped in
the advancement of
the managerial
activities and
serving the products
as per the demand
prevailing in the
market. Last but not
the least; we are
also looking forward
to provide more
beneficial deals in
the forthcoming
years.
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Ratin jot (Alkanet root)
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