What Are Pharmaceutical Dyes: Different Types & Uses
Pharmaceutical Dyes play an important role in the Pharma industry. Pharmaceutical manufacturers use pharmaceutical dyes for a variety of medicine products, including capsules, tablets, pills, syrups, and ointments. The main objective of adding pharmaceutical dyes to pharmaceutical products is to improve the appearance and look of the product and distinguish it from the other ones for easy identification. Pharmaceutical Dyes are the most commonly used form of dye in different pharmaceutical and medicine fields.
The use of pharmaceutical dyes is also widespread as an indicator during surgeries. The combination of several ingredients works better in some situations than others, even though there are several combinations available for the purpose. Therefore, the importance of understanding them fully before choosing one cannot be overstated. Well! In this article, you will learn what pharmaceutical dyes are, including the different types of pharmaceutical dyes and their uses in the industry.
So, let’s get into it!
What are pharmaceutical dyes?
Pharmaceutical dyes refer to pharmaceutical colors that are certified and approved by the FDA for use in different pharmaceutical applications, including pills, tablets, capsules, syrups, ointments, and much more. Pharmaceutical manufacturers use these pharmaceutical dyes to improve the look & feel of their products and increase the ultimate palatable value more efficiently.
Types of Pharmaceutical Dyes
Following are different types of pharmaceutical dyes used for different applications in the pharmaceutical industry;
Sunset Yellow FCF
This azo dye, also known as sunset yellow FCF or orange yellow S, is derived from petroleum. Therefore, it is a petroleum-derived dye with a maximum absorption of 480nm at pH 1 and 443nm at pH 13. It is also called FD&C Yellow 6 when used on foods sold and marketed within the USA.
Use of Sunset Yellow FCF
Sunset yellow refers to a yellow-orange dye most commonly used in a comprehensive range of applications, including pharmaceuticals, foods, cosmetics, condoms, and cosmetics. In addition, it can also be used in snacks, desserts, candy, sauces, and preserved fruits. Moreover, a brown color is often achieved in chocolates and caramels using Sunset Yellow in combination with E123, amaranth.
Allura Red AC
Allura Red AC is a red azo dye, also known as FD&C Red 40 used in drugs, cosmetics, and foods. It is usually supplied as its red sodium salt, but can also be used as calcium and potassium salts, which are soluble in water. Water-soluble calcium and potassium salts of this substance are also available, but they are often supplied as red sodium salts. As a result of an azo coupling reaction, 5-amino-4-methoxy-2-toluenesulfonic acid is deazotized and coupled with 6-hydroxy-2-naphthalene sulfonic acid to form Allura Red, FD&C Red No. 40.
Use of Allura Red AC
The FDA has approved Allura Red AC for use in drugs, cosmetics, and food in the United States. There are a variety of food products & confectionery items that contain it, including cotton candy, soft drinks, cherry-flavored items, children's medicines, and dairy products. In addition, there are times when it is used for aesthetic purposes only, such as dyeing medicinal pills such as fexofenadine, an antihistamine. As a result of the negative health effects of erythrosine (Red 3) and amaranth (Red 2), it is the most commonly used red dye in the United States.
Brilliant Blue FCF
Brilliant blue FCF (Blue 1) is a synthetic organic compound approved for use in pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, processed foods, and cosmetics. It is classified as a triarylmethane dye also called FD&C Blue No. 1 or Acid Blue 9. The FDA has approved it since the 1920s and generally considers it to be safe and non-toxic. There is a maximum absorption at about 628 nanometers, and it appears as a blue powder.
Use of Brilliant Blue FCF
Brilliant Blue FCF, also known as D&C Blue No. 2 is applicable for use in pharmaceutical applications such as children's medications. It is also widely popular for use in a broad range of applications, including ice cream, icings, packet soups, cotton candy, canned processed peas, ice pops, bottled food colorings, blueberry flavored products, dairy products, soft drinks, confectioneries, sweets. In addition, it can also be used in different shampoos, soaps, mouthwash, and various other hygiene and cosmetics applications.
Erythrosine
It is a derivative of fluorone, an organoiodine compound also known as D&C Red No. 3. The maximum absorbance of 2,4,5,7-tetraiodofluorescein in an aqueous solution is at 530 nm, and it degrades when exposed to light. Erythrosine is most commonly used to impart red color in the coating of some tablets.
Use of Erythrosine
Erythrosine dyes are often used in important staining, tracing, histopathology, and drug coloring, but they can also be used as chemotherapy agents. In addition, it can also be used as a dental plaque-disclosing agent, radiopaque medium, and biological stain. A growing knowledge base has also been developed concerning dye toxicity and mutagenicity thanks to modern applications of photosensitizers in light-activated therapies for cancer and infection. Erythrosine is widely popular for use in food & beverage products, including cake-decorating gels, candies, popsicles, sweets, and pistachio shells.
Tartrazine
This is a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye most commonly used in food, cosmetics, and drugs. It has E number E102, C.I. 19140, and is also known as FD&C Yellow 5, Yellow No. 5 Lake, Food Yellow 4, Acid Yellow 23, and trisodium 1-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-4-(4-sulfonatophenylazo)-5-pyrazolone-3-carboxylate).
Use of Tartrazine
Tartrazine (TRZ) is a lemon-yellow dye that is widespread for use in different cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and foods. There are many shades of green that can be created using tartrazine. It is primarily used to produce yellow shade. FD&C Blue 1, E133, and green S (E142) are also often blended with tartrazine to make green shades (FCF blues).
Fast Green FCF
Fast Green FCF is a turquoise triarylmethane food dye, also known as FD&C Green No. 3, Food Green 3, Solid Green FCF, and Green 1724. The Fast Green FCF is preferable to the Light Green SF yellowish in Masson's Trichrome, as it is brighter and does not fade as easily. Histones are quantitatively stained with it after acid extraction of DNA at an alkaline pH, and proteins are electrophoretically stained with it.
Use of Fast Green FCF
The use of FD&C Green No.3 is widespread in drugs, foods, and cosmetics, with an aquamarine color. The FDA has approved it for safe use on foods, drugs, and cosmetics. However, it is banned in the European Union and some other countries. It's safe to put in tinned peas and vegetables, desserts, sauces, jelly, fish, and dry bakery mixes at a level of 100 mg per kilogram. There are seven main FDA-approved dyes in use in the United States. And Fast Green FCF is the least used dye within the USA.
Fluorescein
Fluorescein is also known as solvent yellow 94, D&C yellow no. 8, D&C yellow no. 7, Japan yellow 201, etc. Fluorescein is an organic dye belonging to the family of triarylmethine dyes based on the xanthene tricyclic motif. It is available in the form of a dark orange/red powder that is mildly soluble in both alcohol and water. In addition, Fluorescent tracers are widely used for a variety of applications.
Use of Fluorescein
A topical fluorescein solution is employed extensively in ophthalmology and optometry to diagnose corneal abrasions, corneal ulcers, and herpetic corneal infections using fluorescein sodium, the sodium salt of fluorescein. It is produced by brominating fluorescein with Eosin Y, a red dye. And the solution can also be used to check the tear layer underneath gas-permeable contact lenses. The single-use sterile sachets include lint-free paper applicators that are soaked in a fluorescein sodium solution.
Conclusion
Hence, pharmaceutical dyes have gained huge popularity due to their widespread use in different pharmaceutical applications. From adding colors to syrup, capsules, and certain medicines to coating tables, the use of pharmaceutical dyes is ever-growing from improving the appearance of products to making them easier to identify for patients and doctors with their colors.
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