Present Status of Plant Derived Indigo Dye - a Review

Indigo is the world's most produced synthetic dye because of its use in the denim industry. The wastewaters from the dyeing industry are loaded with pollutant which is the reason there has been an interest in the revival of the indigenous system of dyeing through plant derived indigo. India was the major producer of Indigo in the middle ages with producing 80% of the world's indigo. It is crucial to understand biosynthetic pathway of indigo production so that the quality and purity of the dye can be enhanced and be at par with the synthetic indigo. In this article we review the present status of the major indigo producing plants with respect to dye yield and purity.