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A major source in the research on Baltic cultural history (Latvia, Estonia), including studies dedicated to the clothing of local inhabitants, are the drawings and descriptions of Johann Christoph Brotze (1742–1823), which date back to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. They contain references to dyes and dyeing methods used by local peasants. The information recorded by J. C. Brotze, although fragmentary, is valuable because researchers lack documentary sources about the dyeing methods used in the 18th century in the territory of present-day Latvia. Additional research yields more extensive information about the contents of the descriptions. The current article will describe the experimental method that enabled the establishment of the specific dyeing technique, which, using Bixa orellana L., was employed to obtain the particular orange color referred to in the descriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bixin is the main carotenoid found in the outer portion of the seeds of Bixa orellana L., commercially known as annatto. This compound is industrially employed in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food formulations as a natural dye to replace chemical additives. This study aimed to extract bixin from annatto seeds and obtain encapsulated bixin in a powder form, using freeze-drying encapsulation and maltodextrin as encapsulating agent. Bixin was extracted from annatto seeds employing successive washing with organic solvents, specifically hexane and methanol (1:1 v/v), followed by ethyl acetate and dichloromethane for subsequent washes, to effectively remove impurities and enhance bixin purity, and subsequent purification by crystallization, reaching 1.5 ± 0.2% yield (or approximately 15 mg of bixin per gram of seeds). Bixin was analyzed spectrophotometrically in different organic solvents (ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, dimethylsulfoxide, chloroform, hexane), and the solvents chosen were chloroform (used to solubilize bixin during microencapsulation) and hexane (used for spectrophotometric determination of bixin). Bixin was encapsulated according to a 22 experimental design to investigate the influence of the concentration of maltodextrin (20 to 40%) and bixin-to-matrix ratio (1:20 to 1:40) on the encapsulation efficiency (EE%) and solubility of the encapsulated powder. Higher encapsulation efficiency was obtained at a maltodextrin concentration of 40% w/v and a bixin/maltodextrin ratio of 1:20, while higher solubility was observed at a maltodextrin concentration of 20% w/v for the same bixin/maltodextrin ratio. The encapsulation of this carotenoid by means of freeze-drying is thus recognized as an innovative and promising approach to improve its stability for further processing in pharmaceutical and food applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major source in the research on Baltic cultural history (Latvia, Estonia), including studies dedicated to the clothing of local inhabitants, are the drawings and descriptions of Johann Christoph Brotze (1742–1823), which date back to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. They contain references to dyes and dyeing methods used by local peasants. The information recorded by J. C. Brotze, although fragmentary, is valuable because researchers lack documentary sources about the dyeing methods used in the 18th century in the territory of present-day Latvia. Additional research yields more extensive information about the contents of the descriptions. The current article will describe the experimental method that enabled the establishment of the specific dyeing technique, which, using Bixa orellana L., was employed to obtain the particular orange color referred to in the descriptions.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical-economic process efficiency of obtaining simultaneous lipo-soluble (LSF) and water-soluble (WSF) fractions from annatto seeds. Design/methodology/approach: The batches of annatto seeds were submitted to the refrigerated solid-liquid extraction process in four stages: pre-extraction, aqueous extraction, separation by decantation and filtration. After that, LSF and WSF from annatto seeds were obtained. The process efficiency and the quality of LSF and WSF were analyzed in terms of average yield and bioactive compounds (bixin, norbixin, phenolics and flavonoids) and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, they were economically evaluated in terms of costs of manufacturing and profitability parameters. Findings: The process was efficient in terms of overall average yield (LSF = 8.68% and WSF = 2.76%) (w/w) and in terms of quality, mainly with higher average yields of bixin (82.34% in LSF) and norbixin (29.59% in WSF) (w/w). The concentration of bioactive compounds in the fractions promoted an increase in inhibiting free radicals (DPPH* and ABTS*+) and in the ferric-reducing power (FRAP). LSF showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.06 mg mL-1 for S. aureus and 0.13 mg mL-1 for S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis. The lowest manufacturing costs were obtained for the LSF due to its higher extraction yield compared to the WSF. Plants on an industrial scale of 100 and 1000 L were considered economically viable, with a return on investment of 5 and 2 years. Originality/value: Thus, fractions (WSF and LSF) can be applied as natural additives, as sources of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical and/or pharmaceutical, and in the development of other innovative processes. These results have practical applicability for pharmaceutical and food industry. Highlights: Green processing of annatto seeds obtains fractions rich in antioxidant compounds. Efficiently presents a high yield of bixin and other bioactive compounds. Effective in concentrating compounds that inhibit microbial growth. Fractions are more accessible sources of bioactive compounds for isolation. Cost of manufacturing (COM) and profitability are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Brazil has emerged as the world's largest producer of annatto seeds (Bixa orellana L.). Fortunately, the increase in national production has been accompanied by an improvement in the quality of this raw material. Annatto is a typical crop of small producers who usually use their empirical knowledge to evaluate the quality of the crop. Thefore, the visual observation of the color of annatto seeds has been considered a quality standard by many producers. To evaluate the scientific evidence, the present study evaluated annatto seeds from 51 accessions of the germplasm bank of the Agronomic Institute (Instituto Agronômico de Campinas - IAC) to determine a possible correlation between the pigment’s contents and the color of annatto seeds as well as the influence of humidity on this correlation. The correlations between the concentrations of pigments, humidity, lipids, and color (L*, a*, b*) were also evaluated. The color was evaluated using a colorimeter with measurements of the CIE L*, a*, b* scale. Only the correlation between the variables moisture and lipids was considered strong through the simple correlation, while the variables bixin content and coordinate a* presented a significant correlation while eliminating the effect of moisture (partial correlation). Thus, a correlation between the red color and the bixin concentration of annatto seeds was observed even though it was a weak correlation. In turn, the color difference (ΔEab) between the samples with higher and lower bixin contents was only 1.44. This difference indicates that large variations in the bixin concentrations may lead to small color changes in the annatto seeds, impairing the use of this criterion for quality control of these seeds.

Bixin is the main carotenoid found in the outer portion of the seeds of Bixa orellana L., commercially known as annatto. This compound is industrially employed in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food formulations as a natural dye to replace chemical additives. This study aimed to extract bixin from annatto seeds and obtain encapsulated bixin in a powder form, using freeze-drying encapsulation and maltodextrin as encapsulating agent. Bixin was extracted from annatto seeds employing successive washing with organic solvents, specifically hexane and methanol (1:1 v/v), followed by ethyl acetate and dichloromethane for subsequent washes, to effectively remove impurities and enhance bixin purity, and subsequent purification by crystallization, reaching 1.5 ± 0.2% yield (or approximately 15 mg of bixin per gram of seeds). Bixin was analyzed spectrophotometrically in different organic solvents (ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, dimethylsulfoxide, chloroform, hexane), and the solvents chosen were chloroform (used to solubilize bixin during microencapsulation) and hexane (used for spectrophotometric determination of bixin). Bixin was encapsulated according to a 22 experimental design to investigate the influence of the concentration of maltodextrin (20 to 40%) and bixin-to-matrix ratio (1:20 to 1:40) on the encapsulation efficiency (EE%) and solubility of the encapsulated powder. Higher encapsulation efficiency was obtained at a maltodextrin concentration of 40% w/v and a bixin/maltodextrin ratio of 1:20, while higher solubility was observed at a maltodextrin concentration of 20% w/v for the same bixin/maltodextrin ratio. The encapsulation of this carotenoid by means of freeze-drying is thus recognized as an innovative and promising approach to improve its stability for further processing in pharmaceutical and food applications.

Background: In Mexico, there is an ancestral custom about the knowledge of the medicinal use of plants. Bixa orellana L. is a plant species that represents one of the main crops used in traditional medicine in southeastern Mexico. Background studies on its biological properties have been conducted on accessions harvested in Conkal, Yucatan, Mexico. Objectives: In this work, the idea was to perform a phytochemical analysis of methanolic extracts of B. orellana. Materials and Methods: Phytochemical screening was performed on methanolic extracts of leaves and seeds from two accessions of B. orellana, as well as on their antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Results: The phytochemical screening of the methanolic extracts of the leaves revealed the presence of tannins, terpenes, and saponins. A higher total content of phenols and flavonoids in leaves was also found compared to seeds, which coincides with a higher antioxidant activity in leaves compared to seeds. Regarding antiproliferative activity, the seeds and leaves of accession 3 showed the best results. Conclusion: Accession 3 has better bioactive properties and can be a candidate in the search for antiproliferative and antioxidant compounds; this is the first study that associates this plant with this activity and demonstrates the chemical differences that exist between the accessions of B. orellana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence on the potential pro-oxidant effect of carotenoids provokes apoptosis of cancer cells. Bixa orellana L. is native to Central and South America, interestingly, is also cultivated worldwide. Apo-carotenoids present in B. orellana L. are mainly dominated by bixin and norbixin and demonstrate fundamental antioxidant activity. Anti-proliferative activity on human cancer cells is rarely investigated. We isolated bixin from B. orellana L. found in the island of Java using Ultra-Fast Liquid Chromatography and confirmed the isolated compound using Liquid Chromatography-MS/MS. Bixin and crude extract were examined on human lung cancer (A549), cervical cancer (HeLa), and breast cancer (MCF-7). Anti-proliferative activity revealed to be promising on both, the isolated pigment and crude extract. Further investigation on the mechanism of action and effect on other cell lines, both in vitro and in vivo, are required before clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducción. El achiote (Bixa orellana L.) es una especie valiosa debido al contenido de bixina presente en el arilo de sus semillas, pigmento que es utilizado en la industria alimentaria, cosmética y medicinal. La caracterización de germoplasma es el punto de partida para iniciar programas de fitomejoramiento y para identificar la variabilidad genética de un banco de germoplasma. Objetivo. Evaluación de las diferencias fenotípicas y genotípicas de 18 accesiones de achiote del Banco de Germoplasma de la Universidad EARTH. Materiales y métodos. El fenotipo se caracterizó por medio de descriptores generales y botánicos que detallan características morfológicas y productivas de los cultivares. El genotipo se caracterizó a partir del análisis de la región ITS2 del ADN ribosómico para establecer relaciones filogenéticas entre las accesiones y determinar las relaciones entre características fenotípicas y moleculares. También se realizaron ensayos de autopolinización para evaluar la respuesta de las accesiones a este método que condujera a la obtención de líneas puras. Resultados. Los resultados a partir del dendrograma Maximum Parsimony permitieron diferenciar 5 grupos filogenéticos, los cuales poseen una estrecha relación con el grado de espinosidad de las cápsulas. Al condensar el dendrograma a un 50% se obtuvieron 2 grupos diferenciados por la presencia o ausencia de espinas en las cápsulas, esto posiciona a esta característica como la determinante para el agrupamiento de los materiales. Las accesiones con espinas presentan mayor número de semillas por cápsula, mientras que las accesiones sin espinas poseen mayor contenido de bixina y mayor peso de semilla. Los ensayos de autopolinización revelaron una aparente autoincompatibilidad de acción tardía en algunas accesiones. Conclusión. Esta investigación generó información sobre la identificación de las accesiones, como una primera fase encaminada a la obtención de líneas homocigotas para conservar la identidad genética de las accesiones del Banco de Germoplasma de la Universidad EARTH.

Nanocomposites formed by clay and lipid carriers (NLCs) show a high potential for providing controlled release and specific delivery of bioactive molecules and have recently gained attention in the pharmaceutical sector due to their ability to transport hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. Recent studies have recognized the biological activity of the oil of Bixa orellana L. (AO) with regards to its healing, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-leishmanial properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study is the preparation and characterization of hybrid systems based on lipid nanocarriers and laponite for the delivery of AO. NLCs were prepared by the fusion-emulsification method, using cetyl palmitate (CP) or myristyl myristate (MM), AO, and Poloxamer 188. The morphology, hydrodynamic diameters, zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI), thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), viscosity behavior, and cytotoxicity testing of the hybrid systems were performed. The thermal study and X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD) revealed polymorphic structural changes compatible with the amorphization of the material. Rheological assays highlighted a typical pseudoplastic behavior in all systems (MM and CP with LAP). The hybrid systems' morphology, size diameters, and PDIs were similar, preset spherical and monodisperse structures (≈200 nm; <0.3), without significant change up to sixty days. The ZP values differed from each other, becoming higher with increasing AO concentration. XEDS spectra and elemental X-ray maps show peaks of lipids (organic components, C and O) and inorganic components O, Mg, and Si. All samples showed cell viability above 60%. The results indicated a stable, biocompatible hybrid system that can be an alternative for topical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is an arboreal species domesticated in Amazonia from its wild ancestor (B. orellana var. urucurana). Bixin extracted from its orthodox seeds is a natural dye widely used in the food industry. This study evaluated methods to overcome seed dormancy and determine the germination potential, comparing domesticated and wild annatto populations. Seeds from two domesticatedtype populations and two families of a wild-type population, stored for two years after field collection, were submitted to five treatments to overcome dormancy: T1 - control; T2 - mechanical scarification (with sandpaper); T3 - mechanical scarification (with sandpaper) + immersion in water at 36 °C overnight (12 hours); T4 - immersion in water at room temperature (23 °C, on average) for 24 h; T5 - immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid (95 - 98%) for 15 min + running water for 3 min. Highly significant differences (P < 0.001) were observed in the germination percentage of annatto seeds between wild and domesticated types, and among the treatments tested. Domesticated types showed higher germination percentage (10 - 58%) over all treatments when compared to the wild type (0 - 44%). The best treatments were those performed with mechanical scarification. Given the simplicity, we concluded that mechanical scarification with sandpaper is a good alternative to overcome dormancy of annatto seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotene cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are a large family of Fe2+ dependent enzymes responsible for the production of a wide variety of apocarotenoids, such as bixin. Among the natural apocarotenoids, bixin is second in economic importance. It has a red-orange color and is produced mainly in the seeds of B. orellana. The biosynthesis of bixin aldehyde from the oxidative cleavage of lycopene at 5,6/5′,6′ bonds by a CCD is considered the first step of bixin biosynthesis. Eight BoCCD (BoCCD1-1, BoCCD1-3, BoCCD1-4, CCD4-1, BoCCD4-2, BoCCD4-3 and BoCCD4-4) genes potentially involved in the first step of B. orellana bixin biosynthesis have been identified. However, the cleavage activity upon lycopene to produce bixin aldehyde has only been demonstrated for BoCCD1-1 and BoCCD4-3. Using in vivo (Escherichia coli) and in vitro approaches, we determined that the other identified BoCCDs enzymes (BoCCD1-3, BoCCD1-4, BoCCD4-1, BoCCD4-2, and BoCCD4-4) also participate in the biosynthesis of bixin aldehyde from lycopene. The LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis showed a peak corresponding to bixin aldehyde (m/z 349.1) in pACCRT-EIB E. coli cells that express the BoCCD1 and BoCCD4 proteins, which was confirmed by in vitro enzymatic assay. Interestingly, in the in vivo assay of BoCCD1-4, BoCCD4-1, BoCCD4-2, and BoCCD4-4, bixin aldehyde was oxidized to norbixin (m/z 380.2), the second product of the bixin biosynthesis pathway. In silico analysis also showed that BoCCD1 and BoCCD4 proteins encode functional dioxygenases that can use lycopene as substrate. The production of bixin aldehyde and norbixin was corroborated based on their ion fragmentation pattern, as well as by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. This work made it possible to clarify at the same time the first and second steps of the bixin biosynthesis pathway that had not been evaluated for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotene cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are a large family of Fe2+ dependent enzymes responsible for the production of a wide variety of apocarotenoids, such as bixin. Among the natural apocarotenoids, bixin is second in economic importance. It has a red-orange color and is produced mainly in the seeds of B. orellana. The biosynthesis of bixin aldehyde from the oxidative cleavage of lycopene at 5,6/5′,6′ bonds by a CCD is considered the first step of bixin biosynthesis. Eight BoCCD (BoCCD1-1, BoCCD1-3, BoCCD1-4, CCD4-1, BoCCD4-2, BoCCD4-3 and BoCCD4-4) genes potentially involved in the first step of B. orellana bixin biosynthesis have been identified. However, the cleavage activity upon lycopene to produce bixin aldehyde has only been demonstrated for BoCCD1-1 and BoCCD4-3. Using in vivo (Escherichia coli) and in vitro approaches, we determined that the other identified BoCCDs enzymes (BoCCD1-3, BoCCD1-4, BoCCD4-1, BoCCD4-2, and BoCCD4-4) also participate in the biosynthesis of bixin aldehyde from lycopene. The LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis showed a peak corresponding to bixin aldehyde (m/z 349.1) in pACCRT-EIB E. coli cells that express the BoCCD1 and BoCCD4 proteins, which was confirmed by in vitro enzymatic assay. Interestingly, in the in vivo assay of BoCCD1-4, BoCCD4-1, BoCCD4-2, and BoCCD4-4, bixin aldehyde was oxidized to norbixin (m/z 380.2), the second product of the bixin biosynthesis pathway. In silico analysis also showed that BoCCD1 and BoCCD4 proteins encode functional dioxygenases that can use lycopene as substrate. The production of bixin aldehyde and norbixin was corroborated based on their ion fragmentation pattern, as well as by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. This work made it possible to clarify at the same time the first and second steps of the bixin biosynthesis pathway that had not been evaluated for a long time.

ABSTRACT: Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is an arboreal species domesticated in Amazonia from its wild ancestor (B. orellana var. urucurana). Bixin extracted from its orthodox seeds is a natural dye widely used in the food industry. This study evaluated methods to overcome seed dormancy and determine the germination potential, comparing domesticated and wild annatto populations. Seeds from two domesticated-type populations and two families of a wild-type population, stored for two years after field collection, were submitted to five treatments to overcome dormancy: T1 - control; T2 - mechanical scarification (with sandpaper); T3 - mechanical scarification (with sandpaper) + immersion in water at 36 ºC overnight (12 hours); T4 - immersion in water at room temperature (23 ºC, on average) for 24 h; T5 - immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid (95 - 98%) for 15 min + running water for 3 min. Highly significant differences (P < 0.001) were observed in the germination percentage of annatto seeds between wild and domesticated types, and among the treatments tested. Domesticated types showed higher germination percentage (10 - 58%) over all treatments when compared to the wild type (0 - 44%). The best treatments were those performed with mechanical scarification. Given the simplicity, we concluded that mechanical scarification with sandpaper is a good alternative to overcome dormancy of annatto seeds.

ABSTRACT Models of development are tools that connect the effects of development on the environment, allowing their applications in several studies. Nevertheless, studies are scarce on models of development for native forest species in Brazil. This study aimed to predict the development of two native forest species - Citharexylum myrianthum Cham. and Bixa orellana L. - with two agrometeorological models, being one linear (Phyllochron) and another nonlinear (Wang and Engel, 1998). Both models predict the cumulative leaf number (CLN) on a daily basis, which generates the seedling phase duration (SPD) when integrated to time. Data were used from two years of experiments conducted during 2015 and 2016 growing seasons and 12 sowing dates in Itajubá, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. These species × sowing dates × years experiments provided a rich dataset for calibrating and evaluating both models. Although both models used in the study allowed predicting the dynamics of leaf development, CLN, and SPD in two native forest species, the Wang and Engel model provided a more accurate prediction of CLN and SPD for C. myrianthum species, with an overall root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.82 leaves (CLN) and 5.9 days (SPD). For B. orellana, the Phyllochron model was slightly better, with an overall RMSE of 1.48 leaves (CLN) and seven days (SDP).

Nanocomposites formed by clay and lipid carriers (NLCs) show a high potential for providing controlled release and specific delivery of bioactive molecules and have recently gained attention in the pharmaceutical sector due to their ability to transport hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. Recent studies have recognized the biological activity of the oil of Bixa orellana L. (AO) with regards to its healing, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-leishmanial properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study is the preparation and characterization of hybrid systems based on lipid nanocarriers and laponite for the delivery of AO. NLCs were prepared by the fusion-emulsification method, using cetyl palmitate (CP) or myristyl myristate (MM), AO, and Poloxamer 188. The morphology, hydrodynamic diameters, zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI), thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), viscosity behavior, and cytotoxicity testing of the hybrid systems were performed. The thermal study and X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD) revealed polymorphic structural changes compatible with the amorphization of the material. Rheological assays highlighted a typical pseudoplastic behavior in all systems (MM and CP with LAP). The hybrid systems’ morphology, size diameters, and PDIs were similar, preset spherical and monodisperse structures (≈200 nm;

Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is extensively used as food pigment worldwide. Recently, several studies have found it to have healing and antioxidant properties, as well as effective action against leishmaniasis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to incorporate the oil obtained from annatto seeds into a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) and evaluate its physicochemical properties and biological activity against Leishmania major. Nanoparticles were prepared by the fusion-emulsification and ultrasonication method, with the components Synperonic™ PE (PL) as the surfactant, cetyl palmitate (CP) or myristyl myristate (MM) as solid lipids, annatto oil (AO) (2% and 4%, w/w) as liquid lipid and active ingredient, and ultra-pure water. Physicochemical and biological characterizations were carried out to describe the NLCs, including particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ZP) by dynamic light scattering (DLS), encapsulation efficiency (EE%), thermal behavior, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), cytotoxicity on BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts and immortalized human keratinocyte cells, and anti-leishmaniasis activity in vitro. Nanoparticles presented an average diameter of ~200 nm (confirmed by TEM results), a PDI of less than 0.30, ZP between −12.6 and −31.2 mV, and more than 50% of AO encapsulated in NLCs. Thermal analyses demonstrated that the systems were stable at high temperatures with a decrease in crystalline structure due to the presence of AOs (confirmed by XRD). In vitro, the anti-leishmania test displayed good activity in encapsulating AO against L. major. The results indicate that the oily fraction of Bixa orellana L. in NLC systems should be evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent against leishmaniasis.

• A sequential CO 2 extraction process was proposed to separate annatto seed compounds. • A geranylgeraniol-rich fraction was recovered in the first step at low CO 2 density. • Tocotrienols were recovered in the second step at high CO 2 density. The present work proposed a two-step sequential scCO 2 extraction process to selectively extract the main bioactive compounds from annatto seeds, geranylgeraniol and tocols, aiming to diversify and to improve the added-value of annatto seeds products. Firstly, pressure (10, 17, 24 and 31 MPa) and temperature (40 and 60 °C) conditions resulting CO 2 densities ranging from 290 kg/m3 to 915 kg/m3 were investigated to verify its effect on the chemical composition of the extracts. Extracts obtained at 290 kg/m3 presented the highest geranylgeraniol content (39 ± 9%) and the lowest tocotrienols content (0.95 ± 0.04%). CO 2 densities higher than 629 kg/m3 were needed to recover tocotrienols-rich fractions. Therefore, a two-step sequential scCO 2 extraction process was carried out using 60 °C and 10 MPa (290 kg/m3) in the first step to recover the geranylgeraniol-rich fraction, and 40 °C and 20 MPa (840 kg/m3) in the second step to recover the tocotrienols-rich fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bixa orellana L. (annatto) is economically and ecologically important specie. However, the seeds of this species have some mechanisms of dormancy that prevent their germination even on favorable conditions. The aim of this work was to evaluate methodologies to promote the dormancy overcoming of annatto seeds, including the use of gibberellic acid. It was used seeds of two annatto accesses, which were submitted to the germination test and germination speed index after submission to mechanical scarification, incision, sulfuric acid for 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes and hot water for 30, 60, 90 and 120 seconds. In addition, whole or incised seeds were soaked in gibberellic acid at concentrations of 0, 400, 800 and 1200 mg L-1. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 11 treatments for each access in the evaluation of dormancy overcoming methods and 4 treatments for each access in GA3 application, with and without spike. In annatto seeds, it is not evident the dormancy seed overcoming by the use of incision, mechanical scarification, sulfuric acid, hot water and gibberellic acid; however, mechanical scarification, sulfuric acid and gibberellic acid can increase the speed of germination. The results of each method to overcoming seed dormancy depend of many factors, including the origin of access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DNA damage caused by excessive ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation on the skin triggers the response to inflammatory and immunosuppression. The bixin from Bixa orellana L. has been proven to be able to inhibit cyclo-oxygenase. Objective: to verify whether the bixin lotion has the effect to offer protection against inflammation and immunosuppression due to acute UVB irradiation in shaved BALB/c mice. Methods: Protection against inflammation and immunosuppression, respectively were studied in 4 groups of mice. Each group was treated respectively with topical application of base lotion as a control; bixin lotion doses of 0.5 mg; 2.5 mg and 125 mg, for 10 days prior to and during the UVB irradiation. The Inflammation was induced by UVB irradiation, 360 mJ/cm2 once a day for 3 consecutive days, whereas the immunosuppression was induced by UVB irradiation, 360 mJ/cm2 once a day for 5 consecutive days. The inflammatory response was measured as an increase in middorsal skinfold thickness at the peak response. The immune response was measured as the contact hypersensitivity (CHS) response to oxasolon sensitization. Results: The results indicated that in concentration range used, bixin lotion significantly decreased the middorsal skinfold thickness at 72 hours after UVB radiation (p <0.05) compared to the control, but there was no significant difference between couples of the dose of bixin. Bixin lotion was also capable to restore the suppression of CHS from 34.22% in the control group to 11.4%; 0.5% and 0% at doses of 0.5; 2.5 and 125 mg respectively (p <0.05). Conclusion: Bixin lotion has the potential to reduce the inflammatory edema reaction and the suppression of CHS of mice induced by UVB radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, the partitioning of natural annatto pigments in aqueous two-phase systems formed by poly(ethylene) glycol polymers (1500 or 4000 or 6000 g mol−1) or triblock copolymer L35 (2000 g mol−1) + sodium citrate + water was studied in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The hypothesis investigated was that the use of surfactants as additives in traditional two-phase aqueous systems could improve the solubility of the annatto extract in the phases of these systems through a mechanism of mixed micelle formation. This would make it possible to implement the use of these systems in the annatto dye extraction process. For this, several experiments were conducted. The annatto extract partition coefficient was determined as a function of pH, surfactant concentration, molar mass and hydrophobicity of the polymer, tie-line length, and the nature of the electrolyte. These results showed the potential of surfactant as a modulation agent for dyes transfer between the aqueous two-phase systems phases. The effect of surfactant was attributed to its interaction with norbixin from annatto, which was studied by means of surface tension and spectrophotometric measurements. The driving force governing annatto extract partitioning was dependent on the system composition and the temperature. Lower partition constants values for annatto extract obtained in the presence of surfactant demonstrated the potential of the aqueous two-phase systems for the extraction or purification of annatto. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since long, medicinal plants or herbs are being used in different traditional treatment systems as therapeutic agents to treat a variety of illnesses. Bixa orellana L. , an medicinal plant (family: Bixaceae), is an Ayurvedic herb used to treat dyslipidemia, diarrhoea, and hepatitis since ancient times. B. orellana L., seeds contain an orange-red coloured component known as bixin (C 25 H 30 O 4), which constitutes 80% of the extract.Chemically, bixin is a natural apocarotenoid, biosynthesized through the oxidative degradation of C40 carotenoids. Bixin helps to regulate the Nrf2/MyD88/TLR4 and TGF-1/PPAR-/Smad3 pathways, which further give it antifibrosis, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This current review article presents a comprehensive review of bixin as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer,and skin protecting natural product. In addition, the biosynthesis and molecular target of bixin, along with bixin extraction techniques, are also presented. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the cytotoxic and antibacterial effect of Bixa orellana L. (B. orellana) (achiote) methanol extract against Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) (S. mutans) and Streptococcus sanguinis (ATCC 10556) (S. sanguinis). Methods: Two methanol extracts of B. orellana were prepared in vitro, from the seeds and leaves. The antibacterial activity of extracts against S. mutans and S. sanguinis was evaluated using the cup-plate agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the microdilution method and the cytotoxic activity was determinated by using the cell line MDCK. Results: A stronger antibacterial effect was observed with the leaves methanolic extract with an inhibition zone of (19.97 ± 1.31) mm against S. mutans and (19.97 ± 1.26) mm against S. sanguinis. The methanolic extract of the seeds had an activity of (15.11 ± 1.03) mm and (16.15 ± 2.15) mm against S. mutans and S. sanguinis, respectively. The MIC of the leaf and the seed extracts against S. sanguinis was 62.5 and 125 μg/mL, respectively, and the MIC of the leaf extract against S. mutans was 62.5 μg/mL, and for the seed extract it was 31.25 μg/mL. The 50% cytotoxic concentration was 366.45 and 325.05 μg/mL for the leaves and seeds extracts, respectively. Conclusions: The experimental findings demonstrated the antibacterial effect of the methanolic extract of B. orellana (achiote) on S. mutans and S. sanguinis. The extract of this plant is cytotoxic at high concentrations.

El estudio tuvo como finalidad desarrollar un tinte cosmético natural a base de semilla de Bixa orellana L. (Bixaceae) y evaluar su efecto in vitro. Para el desarrollo del tinte cosmético de la semilla de Bixa orellana L. se consideraron dos concentraciones del colorante obtenido (5% y 10%); luego, se realizaron estudios de compatibilidad de las materias primas con el colorante en estudio. El producto elaborado fue envasado y etiquetado, se realizaron controles de calidad organolépticos y fisicoquímicos, así como también, se determinó el tiempo de vida útil de la formulación a través de los estudios de estabilidad acelerada y de largo plazo. Finalmente, se determinó el efecto in vitro del tinte cosmético mediante su aplicación en mechones de cabello. El tinte cosmético elaborado a base de la semilla de Bixa orellana L. al 10% cumple con los parámetros organolépticos y fisicoquímicos, y se mantiene estable por dieciocho meses. El efecto in vitro evidenció que los mechones de cabello presentaron brillo y calidad cosmética, permanencia de tono tras los lavados y transferencia del tinte al tejido.

Residual annatto seeds are waste from bixin extraction in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Most of this by-product is currently discarded; however, the use of these seeds in human foods through the elaboration of powder added to other commercial powders is seen as a viable option. This study aimed at drying of residual annatto powder, with and without the oil layer derived from the industrial extraction of bixin, fitting different mathematical models to experimental data and calculating the effective moisture diffusivity of the samples. Powder containing oil exhibited the shortest drying time, highest drying rate (≈ 5.0 kg kg-1 min-1) and highest effective diffusivity (6.49 × 10-12 m2 s-1). All mathematical models assessed were a suitable representation of the drying kinetics of powders with and without oil, with R2 above 0.99 and root mean square error values lower than 1.0.

The purpose of the study was to develop a natural cosmetic dye based on Bixa orellana L. seed (Bixaceae) and to evaluate its effect in vitro. For the development of the cosmetic dye of the seed of Bixa orellana L. two concentrations of the dye obtained were considered (5% and 10%); then, compatibility studies of the raw materials were carried out with the dye under study. The product was packaged and labeled, organoleptic and physicochemical quality controls were carried out, as well as the shelf life of the formulation was determined through the accelerated and long-term stability studies. Finally, the in vitro effect of the cosmetic dye was determined by its application in hair strands. The cosmetic dye made from the seed of Bixa orellana L. at 10% complies with the organoleptic and physicochemical parameters, and remains stable for eighteen months. The in vitro effect showed that the hair strands showed shine and cosmetic quality, permanence of tone after washing and transfer of the dye to the tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 216 million malaria cases are reported annually worldwide and about a third of these cases, primarily children under the age of five years old, will not survive the infection. Despite this significant world health impact, only a limited number of therapeutic agents are currently available. The lack of scaffold diversity poses a threat in the event that multi-drug–resistant strains emerge. Terrestrial natural products have provided a major source of chemical diversity for starting materials in many FDA approved drugs over the past century. Bixa orellana L. is a popular plant used in South America for the treatment of malaria. In search of new potential therapeutic agents, the chemical constituents of a selected hairy root culture line of Bixa orellana L. were characterized utilizing NMR and mass spectrometry methods, followed by its biological evaluation against malaria strains 3D7 and K1. The crude extract and its isolated compounds demonstrated EC50 values in the micromolar range. Herein, we report our findings on the chemical constituents of Bixa orellana L. from hairy roots responsible for the observed antimalarial activity.

This work involves the application of physical separation methods to concentrate the pigment of semi-defatted annatto seeds, a noble vegetal biomass rich in bixin pigments. Semi-defatted annatto seeds are the residue produced after the extraction of the lipid fraction from annatto seeds using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Semi-defatted annatto seeds are use in this work due to three important reasons: i) previous lipid extraction is necessary to recovery the tocotrienol-rich oil present in the annatto seeds, ii) an initial removal of the oil via SFE process favors bixin separation and iii) the cost of raw material is null. Physical methods including i) the mechanical fractionation method and ii) an integrated process of mechanical fractionation method and low-pressure solvent extraction (LPSE) were studied. The integrated process was proposed for processing two different semi-defatted annatto materials denoted Batches 1 and 2. The cost of manufacture (COM) was calculated for two different production scales (5 and 50 L) considering the integrated process vs. only the mechanical fractionation method. The integrated process showed a significantly higher COM than mechanical fractionation method. This work suggests that mechanical fractionation method is an adequate and low-cost process to obtain a rich-pigment product from semi-defatted annatto seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present paper aims to make the physical, physicochemical and qualitative chemical characterization of dyes 10 % obtained from the seeds of a Bixa orellana l. using the solvent 70 % ethanol and how method of extraction maceration and percolation. The pH was 6 showing a weak acid behaviour in all cases; the results of the refractive index, specific density and total solids of parameters were superior to the dyes obtained by percolation. The qualitative chemical composition using physicochemical screening technique showed the presence of alkaloids, coumarins, saponins, triterpenes and steroids, reducing sugars, flavonoids, amino acids and amines, phenols and tannins, no identifiqued quinones, mucilage, resins, and cardiac glycoside. The capillary analysis display image poignantly colours, noted the orange colour fringe, one sub fringe of yellow colour and one band of fawn colour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bixa orellana L. is a perennial plant known as annatto or achiote, which belongs to the Bixaceae family and is widely used in cooking, due to its properties of natural dye, whose germination is affected by its own characteristics. This study aimed at elucidating the dormancy mechanism of annatto seeds and evaluating the effect of different methods for breaking it, under different germination temperatures. The scarification methods were: chemical (with concentrated sulfuric acid and ethanol, under immersion for five minutes), physical (scarification with sand paper) and thermic (in water at 70ºC, for two minutes, and then under temperatures of 20ºC, 25ºC, 30ºC and 20-30ºC, for germination). The amount of water absorbed by seeds, and percentage, first counting and germination rate, as well as hypocotyl and taproot length, were evaluated. For the seeds that did not germinate, the tetrazolium test was applied to verify their viability. It was concluded that the treatments used for dormancy breaking did not affect the annatto seeds viability. Scarification with sand paper or sulfuric acid, for five minutes, and temperatures of 25ºC or 20-30ºC are recommended.

Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, analisar o comportamento germinativo das sementes de urucu cultivar Casca Verde, com e sem escarificação, sob regime de diferentes temperaturas e substratos. O trabalho foi realizado no Laboratório de Tecnologia e Análise de Sementes do Centro de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (CCA-UFES). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, num esquema fatorial 2x6x4 (dois tratamentos físicos nas sementes, seis substratos e quatro temperaturas), totalizando 48 tratamentos, com quatro repetições de 50 sementes. Os tratamentos físicos foram: as sementes intactas e as sementes escarificadas; os substratos foram: a areia, a vermiculita, a fibra de coco, o pó de serra, o Plantmax e o rolo de papel Germitest ; e, as temperaturas testadas foram constantes de 20, 25 e 30ºC e alternada de 20-30ºC. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram maior porcentagem de germinação das sementes de urucu, semeadas nos substratos areia, vermiculita e rolo de papel; as temperaturas de 25, 30 e 20-30ºC foram mais adequadas para testes de germinação dessas sementes.This work was carried out with the objective to verify the effect of temperature and substrate on germinative capacity of annatto seeds. This study was developed in the Laboratories of Seed Analysis of Agrarian Science Center that belongs to the Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo (CCA-UFES), located in Alegre ES, Brazil. The experimental design was 2x6x4 factorial involving: (i) two treatments in the seeds, (ii) six substrates, and (iii) four temperatures. Four replications were realized using 50 seeds at each experimental unit. Treatments refer to intact and scarified seeds. Substrates utilized were sand, vermiculite, coconut fiber, wood fiber, Plantmax and paper roll. Temperatures employed were 20, 25, 30 and 20-30ºC. Average contrasts were verified using Tukey test at 5% of significance. It can be concluded: (i) that better percentages of germination occurred by using sand substrate, vermiculite and paper roll; and (ii) temperatures of 25, 30 and 20-30ºC can be utilized in germination tests of annatto seeds.

The objective of this study was to compare the performance of whey protein isolate (WPI) and modified starch (SF) based on their surface properties as adsorbents in the oil–water interface aiming the encapsulation of the annatto seed oil by ultrasound-assisted emulsification. We also analyzed the influence of WPI and SF on technological quality of the microparticles formed from the respective emulsions by freeze-drying (FD) and spray-drying (SD). The effects of ultrasonication power and processing time were assessed by the droplet size of the dispersed phase and creaming stability. The finer emulsions obtained with the evaluated biopolymers were subjected to the FD and SD processes. The obtained microparticles were characterized with respect to moisture content, size distribution and average diameter, morphology, surface oil, entrapment efficiency, encapsulation efficiency, X-ray diffraction patterns and thermal stability. Ultrasound-assisted emulsification of the oil led to the formation of fine kinetically stable emulsions. Intensification of the ultrasonication process had no positive effects on reducing droplet size, demonstrating the existence of a physico-chemical limit imposed by the characteristics of WPI and SF. The FD and SD techniques resulted in different microparticle sizes and morphologies; however, the microparticles formed using both techniques exhibited an amorphous state. Micrographs obtained by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrated encapsulation of the oil in all of the treatments; however, the WPI-FD microparticles showed greater entrapment efficiency, while the SF-SD microparticles showed greater encapsulation efficiency. The type of biopolymer and method used to form the microparticles had no effect on thermal stability because both microparticles showed high stability to thermal degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the cytotoxic and antibacterial effect of Bixa orellana L. ( B. orellana ) (achiote) methanol extract against Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) ( S. mutans ) and Streptococcus sanguinis (ATCC 10556) ( S. sanguinis ). Methods Two methanol extracts of B. orellana were prepared in vitro , from the seeds and leaves. The antibacterial activity of extracts against S. mutans and S. sanguinis was evaluated using the cup-plate agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the microdilution method and the cytotoxic activity was determinated by using the cell line MDCK. Results A stronger antibacterial effect was observed with the leaves methanolic extract with an inhibition zone of (19.97 ± 1.31) mm against S. mutans and (19.97 ± 1.26) mm against S. sanguinis . The methanolic extract of the seeds had an activity of (15.11 ± 1.03) mm and (16.15 ± 2.15) mm against S. mutans and S. sanguinis , respectively. The MIC of the leaf and the seed extracts against S. sanguinis was 62.5 and 125 μg/mL, respectively, and the MIC of the leaf extract against S. mutans was 62.5 μg/mL, and for the seed extract it was 31.25 μg/mL. The 50% cytotoxic concentration was 366.45 and 325.05 μg/mL for the leaves and seeds extracts, respectively. Conclusions The experimental findings demonstrated the antibacterial effect of the methanolic extract of B. orellana (achiote) on S. mutans and S. sanguinis . The extract of this plant is cytotoxic at high concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to obtain a natural dye from Bixa orellana L. (Bixaceae) seeds as an alternative for cosmetic use by the method of aqueous alkali. The methodology consisted of two phases: In the first phase, we determined the greater efficiency of the extraction process with regard to the amount of seed/solvent volume, solvent concentration, stirring time, pH and temperature of drying; while in the second phase, the organoleptic and physicochemical controls of the dye obtained from seeds of B. orellana L. were conducted. The results show that the parameters of most efficiency in the extraction process were: 1:3 in the relation amount of seed/solvent volume, 2% potassium hydroxide in the concentration of solvent, 60 minutes in stirring time, and 58 °C as the optimal temperature. The organoleptic characteristics of the dye powder obtained were: orange and brick red colors at concentrations of 0.5% and 2% w/v respectively, metallic odor, smooth texture and appearance of fine powder. With regard to the physicochemical characteristics, we observed that the B. orellana L. dye precipitated at pH 2 to 2.5, and obtained the highest yield at pH 2.25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effect of the degree of polymerization (DP) of inulin was evaluated on its encapsulant characteristics. We assessed the influence of the average inulin DP (DP ≥10 and DP ≥23) in the ultrasound-assisted encapsulation of annatto seed oil using the freeze-drying technique for particle formation. The intensification of the homogenization process with ultrasound did not improve the characteristics of the emulsions due to the physicochemical limitations of the inulin molecular chain (molecules do not exhibit surface activity). The particle morphology, oil entrapment efficiency, encapsulation efficiency, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and Rancimat analyses proved the effectiveness of inulin as a wall material. The properties influenced by the DP were the surface oil, encapsulation efficiency, water activity, particle size and oxidative stability of the encapsulated oil because the highest DP promoted the formation of microparticles with lower surface oil content, greater encapsulation efficiency, low water activity, larger size and greater protection against oil oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigated the stabilization mechanisms of annatto seed oil emulsions, rich in δ-tocotrienol, by employing biopolymers such as gum arabic (GA), whey protein isolate (WPI), modified starch (Hi-Cap and SF), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and inulin as emulsifiers/stabilizers. The effects of emulsification by high-intensity ultrasound were evaluated and compared to emulsification by mechanical stirring. The research in this study was focused on the ζ -potential and pH of the biopolymer suspensions, the dynamic tension on the interface between the annatto seed oil and water, the viscosity and rheological behavior, the size distribution and average diameter of the droplets, the optical microscopy and the creaming index of the emulsions. The steric stabilization mechanism predominated over electrostatic in the emulsions obtained with GA, WPI, Hi-Cap and SF. The stabilization of the emulsions with PEG or inulin was associated with a reduction in the oil droplet size and an increase in the viscosity of the continuous phase. In general, the emulsification efficiency achieved using ultrasound was greater than that of the mechanical stirring process for all biopolymers because it resulted in the formation of more stable emulsions over time as well as monomodal and narrow size distributions with smaller droplets, thus indicating uniform processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum: Technology is the property of Universidade Estadual de Maringa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

O subproduto constituído pelos grãos residuais de urucum é resultante do processo de extração da bixina, principalmente na indústria alimentícia, utilizando-se como meio extrator óleo vegetal. Atualmente, a maioria desses grãos vem sendo descartada, no entanto vê-se a possibilidade de incorporá-los na dieta humana, uma vez que, como todos os grãos, são ricos em carboidratos, proteínas e fibras alimentares. Neste trabalho objetivou-se secar, em um secador solar, grãos residuais e farinha de grãos residuais de urucum, com e sem a camada de óleo proveniente do processo de extração industrial da bixina, ajustar diferentes modelos matemáticos as curvas de secagem e determinar a difusividade efetiva das amostras. Durante as secagens solares foi verificado, no interior do secador, temperaturas médias superiores a 50 °C. Observou-se que as amostras de grãos residuais de urucum com e sem a camada de óleo demoram um maior intervalo de tempo para atingirem o teor de água de aproximadamente 5% b.u., enquanto que as amostras de farinhas de grãos residuais de urucum com e sem óleo tiveram as maiores taxas de secagens. Todos os modelos matemáticos avaliados representaram de forma satisfatória a cinética de secagem das amostras testadas, com valores de R2 superiores a 0,96 e valores de DQM inferiores a 1,0, sendo que o modelo de Midilli foi o que apresentou os melhores parâmetros de ajustes. A difusividade efetiva apresentou-se na ordem de 10-11 m2 s-1, para todas as amostras estudadas, sendo que o maior valor foi encontrado para a amostra de grão sem óleo (6,47 × 10-11 m2 s-1) e o menor para a farinha sem óleo (0,69 × 10-11 m2 s-1).

Recently, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has been indicated to be utilized as part of a biorefinery, rather than as a stand-alone technology, since besides extracting added value compounds selectively it has been shown to have a positive effect on the downstream processing of biomass. To this extent, this work evaluates economically the encouraging experimental results regarding the use of SFE during annatto seeds valorization. Additionally, other features were discussed such as the benefits of enhancing the bioactive compounds concentration through physical processes and of integrating the proposed annatto seeds biorefinery to a hypothetical sugarcane biorefinery, which produces its essential inputs, e.g., CO2, ethanol, heat and electricity. For this, first, different configurations were modeled and simulated using the commercial simulator Aspen Plus® to determine the mass and energy balances. Next, each configuration was economically assessed using MATLAB. SFE proved to be decisive to the economic feasibility of the proposed annatto seeds-sugarcane biorefinery concept. SFE pretreatment associated with sequential fine particles separation process enabled higher bixin-rich extract production using low-pressure solvent extraction method employing ethanol, meanwhile tocotrienols-rich extract is obtained as a first product. Nevertheless, the economic evaluation showed that increasing tocotrienols-rich extract production has a more pronounced positive impact on the economic viability of the concept.

The residual annatto grains are the subproduct from the extraction process of bixin, dye used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The most of this waste has been discarded in the environment, what constitutes wasteful since, like other grains, is source of carbohydrates, protein and food fibers. One way to facilitate the use of these grains is suing them for making flour and incorporating them in commercial flour of other grains. This work aimed to determine the effective diffusivity and obtain the activation energy in the drying process of flours of residuals annatto grains, with and without the oil layer from the process of industrial extraction of bixin. The dryings was performed at 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C, and air velocity of about 1 m s-1. The calculated value of the effective diffusivity ranged from 0.23 × 10-11 to 2.24 × 10-11 m² s-1 for the sample with oil, and 0.66 × 10-11 to 4.89 × 10-11 m² s-1 for the sample without oil. The activation energies were of 70.56 and 58.95 KJ mol-1 for the sample with oil and without oil, respectively, in which the samples without oil presented higher rates of drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

150 Bixa genetic resources was collected by National University of Colombia for purposes of conservation, evaluation and utilization in genetic breeding program. 21 accessions was evaluated for color production, seed production per plant and color porcentaje. B-Col 12, B-Col 16 and B-Co156 accessions showed highest values for seed production per plant and color percentaje. The achiote flower is hermafrodite, regular, calix formed by 5 sepales, coro le formed by 5 petales, numerous estames, superior and unilocular ovary. Antesis is 5:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. range. Protandria is present in achiote: Bombus atratus, Euglossa fasciata and Trigona sp. are the pollinizator insects. A methodoly for controlled polinization was carried out.En la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, seccional de Palmira se formó una colección de achiote Bixa orellana L. con 70 introducciones nacionales y 80 extranjeras. En 21 introducciones se encontró amplia variación fenotípica para los caracteres rendimiento de colorante por árbol y rendimiento de semilla por árbol. La variabilidad del carácter porcentaje de colorante fue menor. Las introducciones B-Col 12, B-Col 16 y B-Col 56 presentaron valores altos para los caracteres rendimiento de semilla por árbol y porcentaje de colorante. La flor del achiote es hermafrodita, regular, cáliz compuesto de cinco sépalos, corola por cinco pétalos libres, numerosos estambres, gineceo constituido por un ovario súpero unilocular. La antesis floral ocurre entre las 5:30 a.m. y las 8:00 a.m. Se presenta el fenómeno de protandria. Los principales insectos polinizadores son: Bombus atratus, Euglossa fasciata y Trigona sp. Se determinó una metodología para efectuar hibridación artificial en achiote.

Leishmaniasis are widely distributed among tropical and subtropical countries, and remains a crucial health issue in Amazonia. Indigenous groups across Amazonia have developed abundant knowledge about medicinal plants related to this pathology. We intent to explore the weight of different pharmacological activities driving taxa selection for medicinal use in Amazonian communities. Our hypothesis is that specific activity against Leishmania parasites is only one factor along other (anti-inflammatory, wound healing, immunomodulating, antimicrobial) activities. The twelve most widespread plant species used against leishmaniasis in Amazonia, according to their cultural and biogeographical importance determined through a wide bibliographical survey (475 use reports), were selected for this study. Plant extracts were prepared to mimic their traditional preparations. Antiparasitic activity was evaluated against promastigotes of reference and clinical New-World strains of Leishmania (L. guyanensis, L. braziliensis and L. amazonensis) and L. amazonensis intracellular amastigotes. We concurrently assessed the extracts immunomodulatory properties on PHA-stimulated human PBMCs and RAW264.7 cells, and on L. guyanensis antigens-stimulated PBMCs obtained from Leishmania -infected patients, as well as antifungal activity and wound healing properties (human keratinocyte migration assay) of the selected extracts. The cytotoxicity of the extracts against various cell lines (HFF1, THP-1, HepG2, PBMCs, RAW264.7 and HaCaT cells) was also considered. The biological activity pattern of the extracts was represented through PCA analysis, and a correlation matrix was calculated. Spondias mombin L. bark and Anacardium occidentale L. stem and leaves extracts displayed high anti-promatigotes activity, with IC 50 ≤ 32 μg/mL against L. guyanensis promastigotes for S. mombin and IC 50 of 67 and 47 μg/mL against L. braziliensis and L. guyanensis promastigotes, respectively, for A. occidentale. In addition to the antiparasitic effect, antifungal activity measured against C. albicans and T. rubrum (MIC in the 16–64 μg/mL range) was observed. However, in the case of Leishmania amastigotes, the most active species were Bixa orellana L. (seeds), Chelonantus alatus (Aubl.) Pulle (leaves), Jacaranda copaia (Aubl.) D. Don. (leaves) and Plantago major L. (leaves) with IC 50 < 20 μg/mL and infection rates of 14–25% compared to the control. Concerning immunomodulatory activity, P. major and B. orellana were highlighted as the most potent species for the wider range of cytokines in all tested conditions despite overall contrasting results depending on the model. Most of the species led to moderate to low cytotoxic extracts except for C. alatus , which exhibited strong cytotoxic activity in almost all models. None of the tested extracts displayed wound healing properties. We highlighted pharmacologically active extracts either on the parasite or on associated pathophysiological aspects, thus supporting the hypothesis that antiparasitic activities are not the only biological factor useful for antileishmanial evaluation. This result should however be supplemented by in vivo studies, and attracts once again the attention on the importance of the choice of biological models for an ethnophamacologically consistent study. Moreover, plant cultural importance, ecological status and availability were discussed in relation with biological results, thus contributing to link ethnobotany, medical anthropology and biology. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hydroethanolic extracts of Bixa orellana L. were shown to present antimicrobial activity. In this sense and for the purpose of obtaining data about the therapeutic alternatives in leishmaniases treatment, this study has evaluated the antiparasitic activity of hydroethanolic extracts from root, stem and leaf of B. orellana L. on Leishmania amazonensis (M2269) samples. These hydroethanolic extracts were added to L. amazonensis cultures in exponential-phase of growth in concentrations ranging from 0.12 to 2.5 mg/mL. The evaluation, by smears analyses (counting, availability and mobility), and by Giemsa staining method (presence of cytoplasmic granules, nuclear structure and kinetoplast), was carried out 72 hours after the incubation at 24°C by comparing the results obtained to the control. It was observed by the IC50 calculation that the leaf extract (0.14 mg/mL) presented the highest activity, followed by the stem extract (0.21 mg/mL) and the root extract (0.44 mg/mL). Mobility was observed in the smears analyses at concentrations lower than 1.0; 0.75 and 1.5 mg/mL for the root, leaf and stem, respectively. In concentrations higher than 0.25 mg/mL, all extracts presented antiparasitic activity, evidenced by the presence of cytoplasmic granules on L. amazonensis cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study was designed to identify and quantify the carotenoids and phenolic compounds from annatto seeds using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and mass spectrometer detectors (HPLC–DAD-MS/MS). Furthermore, using response surface methodology, an optimized procedure for simultaneous extraction of these compounds was established. In addition to bixin, known to be the main carotenoid in annatto seeds, hypolaetin and a caffeoyl acid derivative were identified as the main phenolic compounds. The optimized procedure involved 15 extractions using acetone:methanol:water (50:40:10, v/v/v) as solvent, a solid–liquid ratio of 1:9 (m/v) and an extraction time of 5min. Validation data indicated that the HPLC method proposed provided good linearity, sensitivity, procedure accuracy, system precision and suggested its suitability for the simultaneous analysis of phenolic compounds and carotenoids in annatto seeds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]