Lac Dye: Beyond Textiles and Tradition, A Comprehensive Review of its Bioactive Potential

Abstract

Lac has been attracting the scientific community’s attention since time immemorial, aided by its wide-ranging applicability in the textile, plastic, metallurgy, and food industries. Lac exudate comprises three primary constituents: wax, resin, and dye. Lac dye, a mixture of polyhydroxy anthraquinones, is emerging as an up-and-coming candidate for various biological activities. A dearth of systematic reviews substantiating the chemical aspects, biological activities, and therapeutic potential of lac dye in treating human ailments propelled the need to comprehensively review its multifaceted prospects. The historical significance of lac dye, along with the chronological development of lac exudates, has been thoroughly discussed in this review. Additionally, the global abundance and distribution of lac was scaled, emphasizing its cultivation, especially in the context of Indian terrain. This review also sheds light on the chemistry of various constituents of lac dye. Further, the methods of isolation and characterization were extensively elaborated. More importantly, the biological importance of lac dye was systematically presented, discussing its role as an antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and antifungal agent. This review highlights the disconnect about the research of lac and attempts to instigate the inquisitive minds of academia and the scientific world in further exploring and bridging the gaps relating to lac research.