Bhagalpur: In an effort to address the health hazards caused by chemicals in vermilion, which married Hindu woman put in their hair parting as a symbol of their marital status, scientists and researchers at Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) in Sabour, Bhagalpur, have developed organic ‘sindoor’ from a fruit. Traditional sindoor sold in the markets often contains harmful chemicals, including heavy metals, that can cause skin irritation and toxicity, potentially leading to other dermatological disorders. D R Singh, BAU vice-chancellor (VC), who is overseeing the organic sindoor project, said that it is produced from the fruits of Bixa orellana plant, a perennial bush also known as annatto, lipstick plant, achiote, latkan or senduri. The BAU scientists have extracted and stabilised the fruit pulp to produce the organic sindoor. After this successful innovation, they have begun propagating its saplings for distribution among farmers as well. The scientific breakthrough is not only expected to promote organic sindoor in the cosmetic industry, but also in pigment-producing industries. The BAU VC said that they are also planning to organise awareness camps and learning sessions for farmers to motivate them to become agri-entrepreneurs by producing safe organic sindoor commercially. The BAU VC said that the researchers are also working to cater to the demand for other organic cosmetic products. The director of research at BAU, A K Singh, who led the project team, said that studies have shown traditional sindoor sold in markets can cause irritation and skin toxicity, resulting in blisters, itching, rashes, pigmentation and sometimes dermatological disorders. Scientist V Shazda Bano and Krishi Vigyan Kendra scientist Rajesh Kumar were also part of the team.
