Genipin, a crystalline and well defined chemical compound, is extracted from gardenia fruits according to a modern microbiological process. The components of the fruit have been used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a blue colorant by food industries in East Asia. Because it is a naturally occurring, biodegradable molecule with low cytotoxicity, genipin has recently been investigated as a crosslinking material in many biological applications. Recent explorations into the use of genipin crosslinked gelatin for the use as a bioadhesive, wound dressing, and as bone substitutes, have shown it to have potential as a new and safe crosslinking agent. The most common crosslinking agent has been glutaraldehyde, but because of concerns about its toxicity new methods are being tested like genipin. In the area of forensic science, genipin is being examined as a new way of developing latent fingerprints on paper products.
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