Botanical Name - Acacia Catechu Common Name - Kattha Other Name - Black Catechu Part Used - Root Uses - Textile Dyeing, Medicinal Purpose Catechu is extract of Acacia tree used variously as food additive, astringent tannin and dye. It is commonly known as cutch, black cutch, cachou, khoyer and Kathy. Catechu dyed fabric imparts some or many medicinal activities. Kathy has antimicrobial properties in them. It has astringent and neutral properties. The main colouring component of this is catechin. Cutch is an important historical brown dye that comes from the heartwood of the cutch tree (Acacia catechu). This colour was produced by steeping the wood into hot water until a syrupy liquid immerses. It has high light fastness and wash fastness as well as being inexpensive. Cutch is a very rich source of tannins and excellent dye for cottons, it is also suitable for dyeing wool, silk, and cotton a yellowish- brown. Cutch gives gray-browns with an iron mordant and olive-browns with a copper mordant.