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Medicinal Plants in Natural Health Care as Phytopharmaceuticals
Published in Anil K. Sharma, Raj K. Keservani, Surya Prakash Gautam, Herbal Product Development, 2020
Bixa orellana is a plant native to Brazil but grows in other regions of South and Central America. It is grown in tropical countries such as Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Indonesia, India, Kenya and East Africa. It is a small evergreen tree; leaves large, cordate acuminate, glaborous on both surface; flowers whire and pink in terminal panicles; fruits reddish brown or green capsules, clothed with soft bristles; seeds trigonous covered with a red pulp. The seeds are considered the plant part of commercial importance, since the pericarp (layer that surrounds the seeds) contains the pigments that have wide industrial application. About 80% of this pigment is the carotenoid known as bixin, which has the dye property and can be extracted with vegetable oils or chemical bases. Depending on the cultivar and climatic conditions of the region, the bixin content can vary from 1% to 6% in the seed aril. The remainder is composed of other dyes and inert substances of minor importance (Raddatz-Mota et al., 2017).
Molecular Biology Tools to Boost the Production of Natural Products
Published in Luzia Valentina Modolo, Mary Ann Foglio, Brazilian Medicinal Plants, 2019
Luzia Valentina Modolo, Samuel Chaves-Silva, Thamara Ferreira da Silva, Cristiane Jovelina da-Silva
Some efforts have been made to identify genes involved in synthesis of bixin, an apocarotenoid produced by the South American native species Bixa orellana. Bixin is widely used in pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic and dye industries (Teixeira da Silva et al., 2018). Therefore, genetic engineering could be an interesting approach for the heterologous expression of B. orellana genes in hairy roots system, for instance, as an alternative for the large-scale production of such an important pigment.
Modern extraction methods and standardization of extracts
Published in C. P. Khare, Evidence-based Ayurveda, 2019
Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) is an efficient form of liquid solvent extraction compared to maceration and Soxhlet extraction as the method uses a minimal amount of solvent. Similar to other solvent technique, ASE also critically depends on the solvent types. Cyclohexaneacetone solution at the ratio of 6:4 v/v with 5 minutes heating (50°C) showed to yield the highest bixin from Bixa orellana with 68.16% purity. High recoveries (~94%) of flavonoids from Rheum palmatun were observed using 80% aqueous methanol by ASE, suggesting the suitability of this method for quality control evaluation.
Bixin Triggers Apoptosis of Human Hep3B Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells: An Insight to Molecular and IN SILICO Approach
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2018
Yogesh Kumar, Alugoju Phaniendra, Latha Periyasamy
Bixa orellana L. belong to Bixaceae family, also known as annatto is a plant native to Brazil but also grow in tropical countries such as India, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, and East Africa. Annatto is the name given to red-yellow extract obtained from seeds of Bixa orellana L. Annatto has been reported to be nontoxic when administered at 540 mg of bixin/kg weight of rats (8), therefore the seeds of annatto are widely used as a natural coloring agent in food industries, especially in dairy products (9), paint and textile industries. Due to its good cutaneous tolerability, the annatto seed extract is also used as a coloring agent in cosmetics (10,11). It is also reported to exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity (12–14). In West Indian folklore annatto is commonly used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus by lowering the blood glucose levels (15) and is a potent inhibitor of lens aldose reductase and thereby it can be used in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (16). Hypolipidemic effect (17), antimalarial activity (18), and anti-inflammatory activity (19) are the other pharmacological effects which are associated with annatto seed extract.