Study of Annatto from Bixa Orellana Seeds: an Application of Time-Of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry
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VOL. 17 NO. 2 (2005) ARTICLE Study of annatto from Bixa orellana seeds: an application of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry Carla Bittencourt, Marcella P. Felicissimo, Jean-Jacques Pireaux and Laurent Houssiau Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Spectroscopie Electronique (LISE), Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, B-5000 Namur, Belgium Introduction A trend in the analysis of natural prod- Pulsed operation of the primary beam As colour is often a key consumer percep- ucts is the search for new techniques allows insulating surfaces to be neutral- tion for food preference and acceptability, that can be applied to their characterisa- ised between pulses using a low energy alimentary colourants play a key factor in tion without unduly interfering with their electron beam. Among the advantages the food industry. Natural and synthetic structure. During the analyses of natural attributed to the ToF-SIMS, one can cite colourants have been extensively used products, some of the following preven- the possibility to directly analyse the to colour food, drugs and cosmet- tive measures may be essential: reduced samples, without the need to extract ics. Since the first synthetic colourants time of analysis, elimination of oxygen, their components; in some cases detec- were introduced into the market at the protection from light, temperature control tion of a concentration lower than 1 ppm end of the eighteenth century, a set of and use of high-purity solvents. In this can be achieved, the spatial distribution prohibition rules have been established study we applied time-of-flight second- of elements and molecules with 100 nm by governments worldwide as some of ary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) lateral distribution may be analysed and these molecules proved to be harm- in order to study annatto, a natural food insulating materials may be analysed. ful to human health. Even so the use colourant. ToF-SIMS, a technique already Moreover, measurements are performed of synthetic colourants is still conceived well developed to analyse organic and under high vacuum avoiding reaction as undesirable and harmful. In contrast, inorganic samples, can become a power- with undesired chemical elements. Large natural colourants, being nature-derived ful tool for elucidating the chemical and molecular ions and molecular fragmen- products, are considered by the consum- molecular compositions, spatial distribu- tation patterns (or “fingerprints”) are ers as healthy and of good quality, so tion of elements and degradation charac- characteristic of the sample. A review of the demand for natural colorants has teristics of natural products. ToF-SIMS is a surface analysis with ToF-SIMS can be increased. Hence better understanding surface analytical technique that uses an found in Reference 1. of their chemistry and biochemistry is ion beam to remove atoms or molecules Among the naturally occurring colour- required; in the food industry, the safety from the outermost layer of a surface. A ants, an important one is annatto of colourants is indeed a very important short pulse of primary ions strikes the (E160b). It is a carotenoid-based dye, issue. sample surface, and the secondary ions extracted from the surface of the seed of Compared with their synthetic coun- produced during the impact are extracted a tropical tree called Bixa orellana L. (achi- terparts, some natural colourants can be from the sample surface into a time-of- ote in Spanish, urucum in Portuguese); more sensitive to heat, pH or light; i.e. flight mass spectrometer. These second- named after the 16th century Spanish their colouring agent can degrade more ary ions are dispersed in time according scientist and explorer of South America, easily. The degradation of the colouring to their velocities, which are proportional Franscisco de Orellana. This tree is native agent can be used to tailor some prop- to (m/z)–1/2, where m/z is their mass/ to the Central and South American rain erties of the colourant. However, no charge ratio. Discrete packets of ions of forest; however, through Spanish influ- matter whether it is of natural or synthetic differing mass are detected as a function ence it became grown in South-East origin, the degradation of the colourant of time at the end of the flight tube. ToF- Asia. Annato was classified by the Food may generate undesirable products. SIMS is capable of detecting ions over a and Drug Administration in the USA Consequently, careful analysis of their large mass range, up to 10,000 atomic as a “color additive exempt of certifi- production and storage is important in mass units (Daltons), at a mass reso- cation”.2 Its principal colouring agent is order to establish safety specifications. lution (m/∆m) of 8000 at mass 29. bixin (C25H30O4), a carotenoid having 16 SPECTROSCOPYEUROPE www.spectroscopyeurope.com For those who think there’s nothing new in UV/Vis… We just raised the bar. 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All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of PerkinElmer, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. its Inc. and/or PerkinElmer, of 4000 property the are trademarks registered or trademarks Inc. All PerkinElmer, 2004 © CIRCLE 010 FOR SALES CIRCLE 011 FOR LITERATURE VOL. 17 NO. 2 (2005) ARTICLE + C5H9 pressure during the experiment was better than 10–9 mbar. The mass reso- lution (m/∆m) near mass 29 was typi- cally 8000. Electron flood-gun charge HOOC compensation was necessary during the measurements recorded directly on the COOCH3 seeds. For thermal degradation study, the samples were heated in situ by a regu- Figure 1. Chemical structure of bixin. lated resistive heater. a carboxylic acid and a methyl ester as ents of Bixa orellana seeds, its extract and Result and discussion its end groups (see the chemical struc- its degradation products. Annatto seed and extract ture in Figure 1). The average annual analysis production of annatto seeds is near 104 Sample preparation In order to determine the spatial localisa- tons, 60% of which comes from Latin Four sets of samples were analysed. The tion of the colourant, ToF-SIMS analyses America, 27% from Africa and 12% from first one was composed of Bixa orellana were performed on sectioned seeds in Asia. Among natural colourants, annatto seeds that were purchased from a local which the endosperm and the aril were ranks second in economic importance;3 retail outlet in São Carlos (State of São analysed (see the cross-section from the it is a substitute of Tartrazine, a synthetic Paulo, Brazil). A second set of samples B. orellana seed in Figure 2). Organic colourant that has been prohibited in was composed of the organic extracts fragments dominate typical spectra several countries.4 obtained by washing seeds of Bixa orel- recorded from the endosperm; further- The use of annatto as a food colour- lana with a (1 : 3) solution of methanol more, it is important to note the pres- ant can be traced back to the ancient and dichloromethane at room tempera- ence of a peak at m/z 55.93 (Figure 3), Aztecs, whose original chocolate drink is ture and which were analysed just after which indicates the presence of Fe inside reported to have contained annatto seeds. the extraction. To perform the analysis, the seeds. Bixin and its related fragments Given annatto’s high fat content and its the extracts were dripped onto a sili- are found to be present only at the seed’s red colour that could have been associ- con substrate and blown dry under a aril. Figure 4 shows the typical positive ated with blood (which of course had reli- flow of nitrogen. Finally, to study possi- ToF-SIMS spectrum recorded at the seed gious connotations in Aztec society) its use ble degradation, the previous sample set aril: this spectrum should be consid- is entirely probable. Until the 17th century, was divided into two sub-sets: one was ered as the colourant fingerprint, since the use of annatto in Europe to deepen analysed after being heated in vacuo, no extraction treatment, which could the colour of chocolate was also common. in situ in the ToF-SIMS spectrometer to interfere with its structure, was used. Nowadays, annatto is primarily used for different temperatures ranging from The peak at m/z 396 is assigned to the colouring cheese (50%), other dairy prod- room temperature to 150°C; the other bixin molecular ion plus two hydrogen + ucts (butter, margarine, snacks etc.) and set was analysed after exposure in air atoms (C25H32O4 or M + 2). The peaks body care products. The colouring agent to ambient light during three months at higher masses (m/z 397 and 398) are bixin is extracted by heating in vacuo a at room temperature. A colour change (M + 2) molecular ions containing one or suspension of the seeds in vegetal oil to was observed, which is an indication of two 13C isotopes (the natural abundance a maximum temperature of 130°C.