Bixa Orellana Research Articles

Phytochemical screening of Bixa orellana and preliminary antidiabetic, antibacterial, antifibrinolytic, anthelmintic, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activity against lung cancer (A549) cell lines

Bixa orellana (B. Orellana) is a frequently utilized plant that has grown in significance in pharmaceutical applications. The leaves extract of B. orellana was used in the current study for preliminary phytochemical analysis in terms of both quantitative and qualitative, which indicates the presence of phenols, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Furthermore, the extract demonstrated antifungal activity at 30 mm zone of clearance against Candida albicans and antibacterial activity at 16 mm zone of clearance against Bacillus nakamuria by well diffusion method against different strains. The plant extract showed a MIC of 20 µg/mL and MBC of 157.11 µg/mL against E. coli by ELISA and broth dilution method, respectively.To evaluate the phytochemicals in the extract, further purification of the extract by TLC, column chromatography, and component analysis by GC–MS, which reported 18 components, and UV spectrum were performed. A number of therapeutic applicationsfor the extract were observed, including antidiabetic activity (anti-glucosidase) of 98.34% inhibitionat 100 µg/mL, anti-lipase of 100% inhibitionat 100 µg/mL, and anti-amylase activity of 100% inhibitionat 100 µg/mL, antioxidant activity (anti-DPPH activity) of 59.74% inhibitionat 100 µg/mL, anthelmintic at 1 min by 1000 µg/mL, antifibrinolytic at 20 secs by 1000 µg/mL and cytotoxic activity against A549 lung cell lines, wherein, the cell viability was below 40 % at the highest dose (100 µg/mL), with an IC50 value of 39.9 µg/mL.

Vegetative and reproductive development of Bixa orellana L. based on its propagation

Bixa orellana L., also known as achiote, is a shrub native to tropical regions. It has been arousing the interest of the industrial sector due to the film that covers its seeds, which is rich in a reddish carotenoid called bixin. Although, traditionally, it is sexually propagated through seeds, this process can also take place in a vegetative manner. Given the economic and social relevance of this species, the aim of the current study is to assess both the vegetative and reproductive development of achiote plants, based on their propagation process, to help finding the best association between plant growth and early production. The experiment was conducted in a farm, in Porto Seguro City – Bahia State. Treatments were based on two genotypes (A and B), which were multiplied through asexual (plant cutting) and sexual (seeds) reproduction. The experimental design was based on randomized blocks, at 2x2 factorial arrangement, with 5 repetitions and 7 useful plants per plot. The following parameters were assessed at 59, 154, 284, 383, 497, 656 and 840 days after planting: incidence of flowers and/or capsules, stem diameter, plant height and canopy diameter. Collected data were compared to each other through Tukey’s test, at 5% probability level. Asexually propagated treatments were the first to start the reproduction stage, whereas sexually propagated treatments recorded higher vegetative development rate; no difference in vegetative development and in reproductive stage onset was observed between the investigated genotypes.

Study of Essential Oil Isolated from Achiote (Bixa orellana) Leaves: Chemical Composition, Enantiomeric Distribution and Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Anticholinesterase Activities.

Bixa orellana is a native and cultivated species of Ecuador commonly known as achiote (annatto), this species is very versatile with a wide variety of uses and applications of its leaves, fruits and seeds. In this study, the chemical composition, enantiomeric distribution and biological activity of essential oil isolated from the leaves of Bixa orellana were determined. Hydrodistillation was used to isolate the essential oil. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to determine the qualitative composition, a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector was used to determine quantitative composition and gas chromatography on an enantioselective column was used to determine enantiomeric distribution. Antibacterial activity was determined using the broth microdilution method, for which we used three Gram-positive cocci bacteria, a Gram-positive bacilli bacterium and three Gram-negative bacilli bacteria. 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic (ABTS) acid radical cation and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydryl (DPPH) free radical were used as reagents for determining the antioxidant activity of the essential oil. The spectrophotometric method was used to analyze acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect of the essential oil. The yield of leaves in essential oil was 0.13 ± 0.01% (v/w). A total of 56 chemical compounds, which represent 99.25% of the total composition, were identified in the essential oil. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were the most representative group in number of compounds and relative abundance with 31 compounds and 69.06%, respectively. The principal constituents were found to germacrene D (17.87 ± 1.20%), bicyclogermacrene (14.27 ± 0.97%), caryophyllene < (E)- > (8.56 ± 1.24%) and pinene <α-> (6.34 ± 0.13%). Six pairs of enantiomers were identified in the essential oil of Bixa orellana. The essential oil presented strong activity against the Enterococcus faecium (ATCC 27270) with an MIC of 250 μg/mL and weak activity against Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 19433) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) with an MIC of 1000 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was strong according to ABTS methods with a SC50 of 61.49 ± 0.04 µg/mL and was moderate in DPPH with a SC50 of 224.24 ± 6,4 µg/mL. Additionally, the essential oil reported moderate anticholinesterase activity with an IC50 of 39.45 ± 1.06 µg/mL.

Multielemental Characterization of Bixa orellana L. (urucum) Seeds by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Multielemental Characterization of Bixa orellana L. (urucum) Seeds by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

The Status and Trends of Food Fraud in Tamale, Ghana

Despite its seriousness, food fraud has not received the necessary attention in Ghana’s discourse on food safety. Food fraud is generally considered as the intentional misrepresentation of the contents or identity of food for economic gain. The study was aimed at assessing the food fraud awareness level of participants as well as the foods most likely to be implicated in food fraud cases in Tamale, Ghana. Data was collected from 385 participants, including food business operators and consumers, via a simple random sampling technique using a structured questionnaire. Most participants (54%) were not aware of food fraud and its related activities before the study. Beverages and juices, fruits and vegetables, spices, oils, meat and fish, baked foods, honey, milk, and semi-processed local foods such as groundnut paste, "Dawadawa," “Kulikuli zim,” and “Agushi powder” were all revealed to be implicated in food fraud by respondents. Adulteration was the most common food fraud action, but tampering, substitution, and mislabeling were also identified as ongoing in the study area. “Moora” (Bixa orellana seeds) was revealed as the key adulterant used in most foods. Food fraud, which is a threat to consumer health and well-being, is active in the region and is predicted to increase without strict regulation and increased sensitization about its dangers. The fight against food fraud should be refocused on making food defense systems like vulnerability analysis and critical control points (VACCP) a key aspect of food safety systems to tackle food fraud.

Effect of Adding Annatto Seed Powder (Bixa orellana) and Astaxanthin to the Diet in the Productive Performance of Broilers(Ross-308)

Researchers from the Al-Anwar Poultry Company conducted the aforementioned study in the Babil Governorate between february 15 and March 22, 2022. The goal of the study was to ascertain the effect of feeding broiler chickens a diet containing annatto seed powder (Bixa orellana) and astaxanthin on their performance and health. The researchers used 225 sexed Ross-308 chickens that were only one day old The chickens were placed in one of 15 different cages, each of which contained one of five different treatments (for a total of 450 birds). There were three duplicates of each treatment, with a total of 15 birds in each replicate for a total of 45 birds in each replication. The following is how the research was conducted: The results showed a highly significant difference at the level of (p 0.01) for the treatments add T2, T3, T4, and T5 regarding final body weight average, with T1 serving as the control treatment and the standard diet not containing any additions. T2 including powdered annatto seeds at a rate of 0.5 grams per kilogram of feed, T3 including powdered annatto seeds at a rate of 1 gram per kilogram of feed, T4 including astaxanthin at At the level of significance (p0.05), Treatments T2, T3, and T5 performed significantly better than the control treatment T1 in terms of the growth in weight, the amount of feed consumed, and the total feed conversion factor.

A review of &lt;i&gt;Bixa orellana&lt;/i&gt; L. (Annatto) leaves as medicinal resource: Use in the population as complementary medicine, phytotherapeutic action and quality parameters

&lt;i&gt;Bixa orellana&lt;/i&gt;, known as Annato or Achiote, is a species popularly used in various countries of America as a dye and medicine. Its leaves possess several biological activities and are commonly marketed as filters. However, despite some ethnomedicinal and pharmacological studies with &lt;i&gt;Bixa orellana&lt;/i&gt; leaves having been published, there is a lack of review articles that collect this information. In addition, the few studies about the quality parameters of these filters must be addressed jointly so that the usefulness of existing information can be better addressed in the discussion of commercial regulation. In this way, this review aims to compile systematically useful information about the medicinal use and pharmacology of &lt;i&gt;B. orellana&lt;/i&gt; leaves, in addition to channeling the studies on the quality parameters of filters, which in turn can define the quality, efficacy and safety of the marketed products. As a result of the review, the searches showed that the leaves of &lt;i&gt;B. orellana&lt;/i&gt; are traditionally used for various purposes, including treatment of headache, bronchitis, and inflammation, in addition to using as a diuretic, analgesic, antiophidic, among others. These findings were corroborated by pharmacological studies, which also point to other biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, neurodepressant and gastrointestinal modulator through the administration of leaf extracts. Finally, stability and extraction yield studies were also important in providing data for implementing quality control of &lt;i&gt;B. orellana&lt;/i&gt; products.

Exploration of the Production of Three Thiodiketopiperazines by an Endophytic Fungal Strain of Cophinforma mamane.

Endophytic fungi possess a versatile metabolism which is related to their ability to live in diverse ecological niches. While culturing under laboratory conditions, their metabolism is mainly influenced by the culture media, time of incubation and other physicochemical factors. In this study, we focused on the production of 3 thiodiketopiperazines (TDKPs) botryosulfuranols A-C produced by an endophytic strain of Cophinforma mamane isolated from the leaves of Bixa orellana L collected in the Peruvian Amazon. We studied the time-course production of botryosulfuranols A-C during 28 days and evaluated the variations in the production of secondary metabolites, including the TDKPs, produced by C. mamane in response to different culture media, light versus dark conditions and different incubation times. We observed a short time-frame production of botryosulfuranol C while its production was significantly affected by the light conditions and nutrients of the culture media. Botryosulfuranols A and B showed a similar production pattern and a similar response to culturing conditions. Molecular networking allowed us to detect three compounds related to TDKPs that will be the focus of future experiments.

Comparative study on the effect of solvents on extraction of bixin from annatto seed (Bixa orellana L.) and optimization of process parameters using Box–Behnken design

Comparative study on the effect of solvents on extraction of bixin from annatto seed (Bixa orellana L.) and optimization of process parameters using Box–Behnken design

Fatty acid profile and rheological behavior of annatto seed oil (Bixa orellana), cupuassu seed fat (Theobroma grandiflorum), and their blends

Annatto seed oil (ASO) and cupuassu seed fat (CSF) were combined at the ratios: 30:70, 50:50, and 70:30 (% w/w). Their fatty acid profile, nutritional quality, FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectra, and rheological behavior were evaluated. ASO increased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blends; whereas CSF conferred higher contents of monounsaturated fatty acids. The blends exhibited low atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices, suggesting nutritional advantages. The Newtonian fluid behavior and FTIR results suggested that mixing ASO and CSF at different proportions did not affect the functional groups. ASO showed an activation energy value which indicated that this fat viscosity was more sensitive to temperature changes. The Newtonian model proved to be suitable to describe the behavior of samples, according to statistical fit parameters R2, χ2, and RSS. The resulting blends presented improved physicochemical properties and nutritional attributes, indicating their feasibility for the development of new products.

Morphological Assessment of Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) Fruit and Seed for the Development of Mechanical Seed Separator

Background: The development of post-harvest equipment or machinery is vital for agricultural productivity. Bixin, a natural colourant derived from annatto seeds, is still separated manually, which may result in pigment loss. The engineering properties of annatto fruits and seeds must be analyzed in this note for the development of a mechanical seed separator. Methods: The fruits were collected from Forest College and Research Institute, TNAU, Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu. Engineering properties such as physical, gravimetric and frictional properties, colour and bixin content were determined for two dried annatto fruit and seed varieties (A1 and A2). The Z-test and t-test (p less than 0.05) were used to statistically analyze the data. Result: The morphological characteristics of annatto fruits A1 and A2 differed noticeably and significantly. The surface area and volume of the A1 fruit were higher. The fruit and seed were merely spherical and conical. The lowest static friction was observed for stainless steel in both fruit and seeds. The mean bixin content of the A1 and A2 seeds was 1.5±0.4% and 1.84±0.57%, respectively. These engineering properties will be used to design a mechanical separator without much loss of pigment.

Investigation on the effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy as an adjunct for management of deep caries lesions—study protocol for a randomized, parallel groups, controlled clinical trial

BackgroundAlternatively to conventional treatments, chemo-mechanical caries removal agents can be used. A modality of treatment that has been increasing in dentistry is antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). Bixa orellana is being researched for application in aPDT. This protocol aims to determine the effectiveness of aPDT with Bixa orellana extract in deep caries lesions.MethodsA total of 160 teeth with deep occlusal dental caries will be selected and divided into 4 groups: G1 - control group (Caries removal with a low-speed drill); G2 - Partial Caries Removal with Papacarie™ (Fórmula e Ação, São Paulo, SP, Brazil); G3 - Partial Caries Removal with Papacarie™ and application Bixa orellana extract (20%) (Fórmula e Ação, São Paulo, SP, Brazil); G4 - Partial Caries Removal with Papacarie™ and application Bixa orellana extract (20%) with LED (Valo Cordless Ultradent®, South Jordan, UT, USA) (aPDT). After treatment, all the teeth will be restored with glass ionomer cement and followed up clinically and radiographically, with evaluations at immediately, 1 week, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Dentin samples before and after treatment will be analyzed microbiologically. The efficacy of treatments will be assessed with microbiological (colony-forming units, before and after carious tissue removal), radiographic (integrity of the periapical area and eventual changes in the radiolucent zones), and clinical examinations (retention of the restorative material in the cavity and occurrence of secondary caries), as well as with the time required for the procedures and the need for anesthesia during the procedures. In case data distribution is normal, analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be used for both the dependent and independent variables. In case the data distribution is not normal, the Friedman test will be used for the dependent variables. For independent variables, the Kruskal-Wallis test will be used.DiscussionProcedures using aPDT have been developed for the treatment of dental caries, but there are few controlled clinical trials in the literature confirming its efficacy.Trial registrationThis protocol is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under the number NCT05236205 and it was first posted on 01/21/2022 and last updated on 05/10/2022.

Intramuscular compatibility of an injectable anti-inflammatory nanodispersion from a standardized Bixa orellana oil (Chronic®): a toxicological study in Wistar rats.

Bixa orellana L. is a plant popularly known as "ucurum", "annatto", and "achiote". It is native to South America, and its seeds are an abundant source of geranylgeraniol and tocotrienols. Nanoencapsulation is a valuable technique that can decrease the drug needed to achieve an effect, decreasing potential toxicity, side effectsand potentiate the anti-inflammatory effect. This study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of an intramuscular application of a nanodispersion containing a standardized extract from the seeds of Bixa orellana (NBO) in Wistar rats. The chemical evaluation showed δ-tocotrienol at 0.725 ± 0.062mg/mL (72.6 ± 0.9%). The stability study showed the nanoparticles had an average size from 53.15 ± 0.64 to 59.9 ± 3.63nm, with a polydispersity index ranging from 0.574 ± 0.032 to 0.574 ± 0.32, Zeta potential from 18.26 ± 0.59 to 19.66 ± 1.45mV. After testing the intramuscular application of NBO with doses from 1 to 5mg/kg in animals, it was observed that the acute treatment did not elicit any toxic effects within this range. The dose of 10mg/kg, although not affecting hematological and biochemical parameters (CPK, LDH, myoglobin, AST, ALT, TC, TG, glucose levels, creatinine, and urea), could induce some muscle tissue changes, including leukocyte infiltration, morphological chances, and potentially necrosis. In conclusion, the results showed that the treatments devoided toxicity between 1 and 5mg/kg.

Gene expression profile during seed development of Bixa orellana accessions varying in bixin pigment.

Diverse morphological, cellular and physiological changes occur during seed maturation in Bixa orellana when the seed tissues form specialized cell glands that produce reddish latex with high bixin amounts. Transcriptomic profiling during seed development in three B. orellana accessions (P12, N4 and N5) with contrasting morphologic characteristics showed enrichment in pathways of triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and cuticular wax biosynthesis. WGCNA allows groups of all identified genes in six modules the module turquoise, the largest and highly correlated with the bixin content. The high number of genes in this module suggests a diversification of regulatory mechanisms for bixin accumulation with the genes belonging to isoprene, triterpenes and carotene pathways, being more highly correlated with the bixin content. Analysis of key genes of the mevalonate (MVA) and the 2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathways revealed specific activities of orthologs of BoHMGR, BoFFP, BoDXS, and BoHDR. This suggests that isoprenoid production is necessary for compounds included in the reddish latex of developing seeds. The carotenoid-related genes BoPSY2, BoPDS1 and BoZDS displayed a high correlation with bixin production, consistent with the requirement for carotene precursors for apocarotenoid biosynthesis. The BoCCD gene member (BoCCD4-4) and some BoALDH (ALDH2B7.2 and ALDH3I1) and BoMET (BoSABATH1 and BoSABATH8) gene members were highly correlated to bixin in the final seed development stage. This suggested a contributing role for several genes in apocarotenoid production. The results revealed high genetic complexity in the biosynthesis of reddish latex and bixin in specialized seed cell glands in different accessions of B. orellana suggesting gene expression coordination between both metabolite biosynthesis processes.

Biosynthesis of Bixa orellana seed extract mediated silver nanoparticles with moderate antioxidant, antibacterial and antiproliferative activity

Biosynthesis of metallic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has gained much interest and offers an attractive alternate to physical and chemical approaches. In recent year several safe, easy, cost-effective, reproducible, and environmentally friendly synthesis approaches for silver nanoparticles have been developed. In this research work, a simple, cheap, and unexplored method was applied on green synthesis of AgNPs using secondary metabolites extracted from Bixa orellana seeds. The seeds are rich of flavonoids and phenolic compounds which presumably responsible for the fast reduction and stabilization of silver ion into silver nanoparticles. The biosynthesis process is very likely to be able to reduce silver ions under simple physiological conditions. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) that was appeared at 420 nm in UV–vis spectrum, had confirmed the formation of AgNPs. Moreover, the functional groups in secondary metabolite that act as reducing, capping and stabilizing agents for silver nanoparticles, are identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. An X-ray diffraction analysis generated four peaks for Bixa orellana seed extract mediated AgNPs positioned at 2θ angles of 38.1°, 44.2°, 64.6°, and 77.5° corresponding to crystal planes (111), (200), (220), and (311). Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the formation of nanosized silver particles. The z-average of the synthesized particles measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) was found to be 92.9 nm. AgNPs synthesized exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, antibacterial and antiproliferative activity against human breast (MCF-7) cell line. On the basis of our results, we conclude that biologically synthesized AgNPs exhibited favorable characteristics and have the potential to be used in biomedical fields.

Dynamics of annatto pigment synthesis and accumulation in seeds of Bixa orellana L. revealed by integrated chemical, anatomical, and RNA-Seq analyses.

Bixin is a commercially valuable apocarotenoid pigment found in the seed aril of Bixa orellana. The dynamics and regulation of its biosynthesis and accumulation during seed development remain largely unknown. Here, we combined chemical, anatomical, and transcriptomic data to provide stage-specific resolution of the cellular and molecular events occurring during B. orellana seed development. Seeds at five developmental stages (S1-S5) were used for analysis of bixin content and seed anatomy, and three of them (S1, S3, and S4) were selected for Illumina HiSeq sequencing. Bixin accumulated in large quantities in seeds compared with other tissues analyzed, particularly during the S2 stage, peaking at the S4 stage, and then decreasing slightly in the S5 stage. Anatomical analysis revealed that bixin accumulated in the large central vacuole of specialized cells, which were scattered throughout the developing mesotesta at the S2 stage, but enlarged progressively at later stages, until they occupied most of the parenchyma in the aril. A total of 13 million reads were generated and assembled into 73,381 protein-encoding contigs, from which 312 were identified as containing 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate/2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (DOXP/MEP), carotenoid, and bixin pathways genes. Differential transcriptome expression analysis of these genes revealed that 50 of them were sequentially and differentially expressed through the seed developmental stages analyzed, including seven carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, eight aldehyde dehydrogenases, and 22 methyltransferases. Taken together, these results show that bixin synthesis and accumulation in seeds of B. orellana are a developmentally regulated process involving the coordinated expression of DOXP/MEP, carotenoid, and bixin biosynthesis genes.

Leaves of Moringa oleifera Are Potential Source of Bioactive Compound β-Carotene: Evidence from In Silico and Quantitative Gene Expression Analysis.

Moringa oleifera is rich in bioactive compounds such as beta-carotene, which have high nutritional values and antimicrobial applications. Several studies have confirmed that bioactive-compound-based herbal medicines extracted from the leaves, seeds, fruits and shoots of M. oleifera are vital to cure many diseases and infections, and for the healing of wounds. The β-carotene is a naturally occurring bioactive compound encoded by zeta-carotene desaturase (ZDS) and phytoene synthase (PSY) genes. In the current study, computational analyses were performed to identify and characterize ZDS and PSY genes retrieved from Arabidopsis thaliana (as reference) and these were compared with the corresponding genes in M. oleifera, Brassica napus, Brassica rapa, Brassica oleracea and Bixa orellana. The BLAST results revealed that all the plant species considered in this study encode β-carotene genes with 80-100% similarity. The Pfam analysis on β-carotene genes of all the investigated plants confirmed that they belong to the same protein family and domain. Similarly, phylogenetic analysis revealed that β-carotene genes of M. oleifera belong to the same ancestral class. Using the ZDS and PSY genes of Arabidopsis thaliana as a reference, we conducted qRT-PCR analysis on RNA extracted from the leaves of M. oleifera, Brassica napus, Brassica rapa and Bixa orellana. It was noted that the most significant gene expression occurred in the leaves of the studied medicinal plants. We concluded that not only are the leaves of M. oleifera an effective source of bioactive compounds including beta carotene, but also the leaves of Brassica napus, Brassica rapa and Bixa orellana can be employed as antibiotics and antioxidants against bacterial or microbial infections.

Pollination service provided by honey bees to buzz-pollinated crops in the Neotropics.

Generalist honey bees grant significant pollination services worldwide. Although honey bees can provide compensatory pollination services, their service to buzz-pollinated crops, compared to specialized pollinators, is not clear. In this study, we assessed the contribution of Africanized honey bees (AHB) and native sonicating bees (NBZ) to the pollination of eggplant (Solanum melongena) and annatto (Bixa orellana) in Yucatan, Mexico, one of the largest producers of these crops in the Americas and a region with one of the largest densities of honey bees in the world. We first compared the relative frequency and abundance of both bee types on flowers of both crops. Secondly, we controlled access to flowers to compare the number and weight of fruit and number of seed produced after single visits of AHB and native bees. For a better assessment of pollination services, we evaluated the productivity of individual flowers multiply visited by AHB. The results were compared against treatments using pollinator-excluded flowers and flowers that were supplied with additional pollen, which allowed an overall measure of pollination service provision (PSP). Our results showed that AHB were the predominant flower visitors in both crops and that were poorly efficient on individual visits. Notably, fruit quantity and seed number increased concomitantly with the number of AHB visits per flower on eggplant, but not on annatto. Estimation of PSP revealed no pollination deficit on eggplant but that a deficit existed on the pollination services to annatto. We found that AHB numerical predominance compensates their poor individual performance and can complement the services of native bees on eggplant, but not on annatto. We discuss possible explanations and implications of these results for buzz-pollinated crops in the neotropics an area with little assessment of pollination services and a high density of honey bees.

Pharmacological Potential and Mechanisms of Action Involved in Oil Species from the Brazilian Amazon: The Case of Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench, Euterpe oleracea Martius and Bixa orellana Linné

The chemical versatility of vegetable oils, attributed to biological properties, constitutes great value for the economic, technological and nutritional sector, promoting the interest of these Amazonian natural resources. The oils present variations in their chemical composition, regarding the presence of fatty acids with promising biological properties. The species Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench, Euterpe oleracea Martius and Bixa orellana Linné, have pharmacological activities. Although these species are the subject of many studies, most of the scientific information is not related to the use of their oils. Therefore, this study aimed to review the secondary metabolites of vegetable oils of these species with pharmacological potential, such as antihypercholesterolemic and mechanisms of action involved, aiming to make the use of oil from such species in the field of drug innovation opportune. Therefore, the research was carried out using the following databases: CAPES, PubMed, Science Direct (Elsevier), Springer-Nature, SciELO and Google Scholar journals, using keywords such as A. esculentus, E. oleracea, B. orellana, correlated with oils, seeds, secondary metabolites, fatty acids and mechanisms of action. The species showed great bioactive activity attributed to their oils, especially in the anti-hypercholesterolemic activity, which can be explained by several pathways of gene expression mechanisms such as the interaction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), hepatic X receptors (LXRs), hepatic nuclear factor-4 (HNF4) receptors and sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) that act on lipid modulation. The species have great pharmacological potential, especially in view of the use of their vegetable oils against the modulation of metabolic disorders.

Review on phytochemical composition and pharmacological activities of Bixa orellana

commonly known as Annatto is a lipstick tree belonging to the family Indigenous populations in Brazil and other tropical nations have employed for a variety of therapeutic purposes which is also known as "". The essential natural apocarotenoid obtained from seeds namely bixin is broadly applied as a cosmetic and textile colorant. The carotenoids, which contribute to more than 80% of the annatto seed coat are responsible for the color orange-red. It is well known for its medicinal value and as a coloring agent. Annatto is used in food dye, body paint and the treatment of heartburn and it also reduces inflammation and blood sugar. The various parts of this plant has been reported to show many therapeutic indications like anti-bacterial, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-histaminic, anti-diarrheal, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. Carotenoids, apocarotenoids, terpenes, terpenoids, sterols and aliphatic compounds are the main compounds found in all parts of this plant. The various annatto plant parts have been utilized in traditional medicine for both the prevention and treatment of a variety of health issues. This review aimed to report the primary evidence found in the literature, concerning the pharmacological activities and phytochemical studies related to . Regarding its application in food, cosmetics, leather, solar cells and other industries, significant research has already been done and is presently being conducted. This review demonstrates the well-studied pharmacological effect that might be relevant for the upcoming creation of a novel therapeutic medication.