GLOSSARY
Aerating Introducing air into the indigo liquid—traditionally by beating, stirring, or pumping—to activate oxidation and help the blue indigo pigment form. Broadcast A method of sowing seed by scattering it evenly over the soil surface rather than planting in rows. Fermentation A natural chemical process in which harvested indigo leaves soak in water and begin to break down, releasing the plant’s color compounds into the liquid. Indican The chemical compound (glycoside) naturally occurs in indigo plants (and in human urine). It is a colorless precursor to indigo dye. When the leaves are crushed, enzymes are released, removing sugars in the leaves, releasing indoxyl. Indican -> Indoxyl Indigofera suffruticosa A species of indigo-producing plant (in the legume family) native to South and Central America. It is cultivated for its leaves, which contain the compounds used to produce natural indigo dye. Indigotin Another term for the insoluble compound that produces indigo pigment. Indoxyl Produced through reduction (extraction) when two molecules of oxygen are converted after the glucoside bond has been broken (via heat/water/maceration). Indoxyl is a colorless molecule present in extraction, which appears turquoise due to its blue-green fluorescence in daylight. Indoxyl + Indoxyl -> Leucoindigo -> Indigo (indigotin) Leaching The process of drawing soluble compounds out of plant material. In indigo processing, it refers to releasing indican and other dye precursors from the leaves into the soaking water.
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