Violacein

Also known as: 3-(2-(5-Hydroxyindol-3-yl)-5-oxo-2-pyrrolin-4-ylidene)-2-indolinone, Oxindole, 3-(2-(5-hydroxyindol-3-yl)-5-oxo-2-pyrrolin-4-ylidene)-

INCI: VIOLACEIN

Violacein (CAS 548-54-9) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Colorant. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical and food safety data.

View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 548-54-9 →

Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Colorant
Safety Rating
MODERATE

Chemistry & Identifiers

Formula
C20H13N3O3
MW
343.3 g/mol
PubChem CID
11053
IUPAC Name
3-[2-hydroxy-5-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)-1H-pyrrol-3-yl]indol-2-one
InChIKey
SHLJIZCPRXXHHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Regulatory Status

EU EU Status permitted
US US Status permitted
US Notes Caution – colorant use requires FDA color additive approval; non-colorant antimicrobial/antioxidant use may be permissible

For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Violacein.

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Function Categories & List Membership

Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Antioxidant Biocide Dye

Expert Verdict

Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Violacein.

Regulatory Flags

colorant

Known Synonyms

3-(2-(5-Hydroxyindol-3-yl)-5-oxo-2-pyrrolin-4-ylidene)-2-indolinone Oxindole, 3-(2-(5-hydroxyindol-3-yl)-5-oxo-2-pyrrolin-4-ylidene)-

Chemical Function

Biocide Antioxidant Dye

Cross-Vertical Safety Context

Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.

SOURCE ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS DB_PHARMA CAS match

Pharmaceutical Data

Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.

Compound
VIOLACEIN
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1652263
View full pharmaceutical profile →
SOURCE EFSA / FDA GRAS food_additives

Food Safety Data

Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.

Food Name
Violacein
Food Category
colorant
View full food safety profile →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Violacein safe in cosmetics?

Violacein has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.

Is Violacein allowed in the EU?

Violacein EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Violacein do in cosmetics?

Violacein functions as: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Colorant. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 548-54-9.

Is Violacein used outside cosmetics?

Violacein also appears in pharmaceutical and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.

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