Morphological Studies, Traditional and Industrial Uses of Bixa Orellana. a Review

Current Science International Volume : 08 | Issue : 01| Jan.- Mar. 2019 ISSN: 2077-4435 Pages: 70-74

Morphological studies, traditional and industrial uses of Bixa Orellana. A review

Sandeep Pandey, Arpana Sharma, Gopriya Panika and Manish Kumar

Center for Botany, School of Environmental Biology, A.P.S University, Rewa (M.P.), India 486003 Received: 30 Dec. 2018 / Accepted 29 Jan. 2019 / Publication date: 10 Feb. 2019

ABSTRACT Bixa orellana with a common name “lipstick tree” is an ornamental plant mainly found in South America, Central America, Caribbean islands and in some parts of Asia. In India plant is traditionally known as ‘Sinduri’ or ‘latkan’ and is used in traditional medicine, dye, cosmetics and food industries. The plant shows significant genetic diversity and is either cultivated or occurs wild. The plant seeds are of commercial importance as they yield a natural colorant bixin a carotenoid, used in colouring dairy products, and in preparing “sindur” and “lipstick”, and also possess a good calorific value. The present study focuses on morphological and ecological features and uses of B. orellana. The study demonstrated the importance of this plant in food, cosmetic, textile and drug industries along with detail investigation for its use in developing new medicines of natural origin along with its conservation.

Keywords: Bixa orellana, morphology, chemical composition, medicinal, industrial uses

Introduction The use of medicinal plants for curing ailments has been in practice since ancient times (Aslam and Afridi, 2018) and presently 28,187 plant species are recorded as being of medicinal uses (Willis, 2017) and nearly 50% of the drugs are obtained from natural compounds (Vilar et al., 2014). Many plant species are well documented by different cultures and plays a significant role in healthcare (Malmir et al.,2018) producing essential oils, colorants, dyes, cosmetics and biocides (Malmir et al.,2018, Lubbe and Verpoorte, 2011, Pandey, 2018). The introduction of new drugs of natural origin (Vilar et al., 2014) has drawn attention in identifying (Kumar and Pandey, 2015, Pandey et al.,2017), exploring and preserving various plants (Pandey, 2018, Pandey et al.,2018, Pandey 2017), with novel bioactive compounds and potentiality to prepare drug formulations (Pandey, 2017, Pandey 2017, Pandey et al. 2017). Bixa orellana belonging to family Bixaceae commonly known as ‘annatto’ or ‘lipstick tree’ native to South America, Central America and Caribbean islands is a tropical ornamental plant with traditional uses. In Asia plant is mainly grown in India, Philippines and Sri Lanka. In India the plant is popularly known as ‘Sinduri’ or ‘latkan’ and its English name is ‘annatto’ while in German it is called ‘orlean’. The plant is mainly grown for the seed which produces orange-red colour powder (Jansen, 2005). Approximately 14,500 tons (dry weight) of seeds are produced annually in the world with two thirds as dried seeds and the rest as colorant. Latin America leads in total world production (60%), followed by Africa (27%) and Asia (12%) (Raddatz-Mota et al., 2017). Brazil, Peru and United States are the largest producer and exporter; whereas Western Europe and Japan are the main market of annatto seeds (Jansen, 2005). The water soluble norbixin extract, vegetable oil extracts, and solvent- extracted bixin are in great demand throughout the world and this along with roots, bark and leaves are used in food, cosmetics and pharma industries. The aim of this study is to assess morphological and phytochemical features for quality standardization and to explore various traditional and industrial uses of the plant.

Morphological and Ecological Features The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree with 2 to 8 m height (Jansen, 2005). The leaves are simple, opposite with acute apex and base and average size 7.5 cm in length and 4.6 cm breadth (Radhika et al., 2010), stipulate, and spirally arranged, scaly during young stage and become glabrous at maturity (Jansen, 2005). Fresh leaves and leaf powder are green in colour with slightly bitter taste Corresponding Author: Pandey, S. Center for Botany, School of Environmental Biology, A.P.S University, Rewa (M.P.), India 486003. E mail:[email protected] 70 Curr. Sci. Int., 8(1): 70-74, 2019 ISSN: 2077-4435

(Radhika et al., 2010). Bark is tough, smooth and light or dark brown in colour. Flowers pedicelate terminal branched panicles with 8 to 50 flowered, fragrant, 4-6 cm across; pedicel scaly, thickened at the apex, bearing 5-6 large glands; having 4 to 5 free and obovate sepals, caduceus and covered with scales; petals are 4 to 7, obovate with scaly stalks; stamens infinite; 1.6 cm long pistil with superior ovary; 12-15 mm long style; bi-lobed stigma (Jansen, 2005). Plants produces three different flower hues viz pink, purple, and white which, metamorphosis into red, greenish-red, and green coloured fruit. Based on these characteristics along with the pigment profile three fruiting varieties- ovate red, conical greenish-red and hemispherical green were observed and among these ovate red-coloured fruit variety were found to be superior in all morphological aspects (Akshatha et al., 2011). Flowering takes place mainly in spring and fruiting in summer season. Fruits are spherical or ovoid capsule, bi-valved; seeds oval and angular, and numerous with bright orange-red coats (Jansen, 2005). Plant requires a sunny, humid weather with an average temperature and annual rainfall of 20– 26°C and 1250–2000 mm respectively. Under unevenly distributed rainfall, irrigation becomes necessary for the plant. It generally prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soils and also preforms well in limestone or a coral base14. According to a study a 3 years old plant shows higher seed yield up to 2483 kg/ha (Kanjilal and Singh, 1996). The plant can be propagated by seeds or stem cuttings. The seeds require optimum storage conditions and germination generally starts 30-45 days. Seed germination shows significant reduction with the passage of time (Singh et al., 2016). Mature seeds directly germinate from fresh fruits in 7 to 10 days under moist conditions (Jansen, 2005). Ovate red-coloured fruit variety possess highest number of seeds i.e., 46 showing highest yields 1.5 to 2.0 kg of seeds per plant with ≤ 2.13% (w/w) (Akshatha et al., 2011).Vegetatively propagated plant flowers early and bear fruit within two years. Insect pollinated fruits mature within 5 to 6 months and plant shows seed production in 4 to 12 year and retain productivity for more than 20 years (Jansen, 2005).

Uses

Medicine The plant and its parts are widely used in the traditional medical system in various parts of world (Shahid-ul-Islam et al., 2016, Venugopalan et al., 2011). The plant has been used since pre- colonial times as a culinary colorant and spice, and for healing purposes (Rivera-Madrid et al., 2016) and treating infections of microbial origin (Ganju and Ganju, 2014, Rojas et al., 2006). In Central and South America plants are used to treat internal inflammation and in Malaysia for gastric ulcers and stomach discomfort (Yong et al., 2013). In India the bark are used to treat fever, gonorrhoea phlegm, blood diseases, headache (Kumaran, 2014), and there are evidences that plant do not show any type of urogenital infections while treating gonorrhea (Stohs, 2014).

Fig 1: Different parts of Bixa orellana used in medicines and other industries

The seeds are slightly purgative and possess nutritive value and in West Africa, New Guinea, Guyana they are effective against dysentery, fever and kidney disorders and used in poisoning by cassava (Jansen, 2005). The Amazon tribes of Brazil generally use seed extracts to paint their body which also claims to repel insects (Giorgi, 2013) as evidenced through studies in Wajapi tribal women

71 Curr. Sci. Int., 8(1): 70-74, 2019 ISSN: 2077-4435 of Brazil (Mata et al., 2012). In Gabon leaf decoction is used against vomiting, in DR Congo used as a gargle for sore throat and tonsillitis and treating itches, in Seychelles and Mauritius as a bath against muscular pain and headache (Jansen, 2005), in Trinidad and Tobago to treat diabetes, jaundice and hypertension (Lans, 2006). In Mauritius the leaves are used against headache and in Ethiopia applied as a wound dressing. In Paraguay and Mexico mixture of seeds and sap are used against mouth disorders (Jansen, 2005).

Food industry The natural biocolorants yellow or orange colors bixin obtained from the seeds are safer for food use and exempted from certification category of FDA and EU (Aberoumand, 2011). These natural colorants are used in food industry in many countries (Ganju and Ganju, 2014, Dequigiovanni et al., 2018) mainly in dairy, confectionary and bakery products (Shahid-ul-Islam et al., 2016, Venugopalan et al., 2011, Srineeraja, 2017). The dye is non-toxic with traces of vitamin A content and soluble in lipids hence used to colour margarine, ice-cream, candy, cheese, butter, bakery products and oils. In Latin America, annatto is used to give red colour to fish, meat, and rice dishes and vegetable dyes as a turmeric supplement (Jansen, 2005, Galindo-Cuspinera et al., 2002).

Cosmetic and textile industries Annatto is a natural dye yielding plant and has applications in textile and cosmetic industries, leather, solar cells and other industries (Shahid-ul-Islam et al., 2016, Dequigiovanni et al., 2018). Artificial neural network (ANN) shows high degree of potentiality in optimizing the dye extraction from seeds of the plant (Sinha et al., 2013). Annatto dye has significant uses in cosmetic and leather industry (Venugopalan et al., 2011, Gupta, 2016). It is used in the cosmetic industry in the production of lipstick, hair oil, nail gloss, soap and in household products like furniture polish, floor wax, brass lacquer, shoe polish, and wood stain (Jansen, 2005). In textile industry annatto has been used for dyeing wool, cotton and silk, giving an orange-red colour and when mixed in dye-bath with wood-ash or sodium carbonate and treated with tartaric or citric acid, turns yellow (Jansen, 2005). According to some reports the woolen yarn dyed with annatto seeds shows decrease in lightness value on treatment with ammonia (Shahid-ul-Islam et al., 2014). The dye fades in sun light but resistant to soap, acids and alkalis. The dye is also used to colour wood, rattan and bamboo.

Other uses The press cake of the seed and fruit is used as fodder. The wood is used as good firewood and bark fibres are used for cordage (Jansen, 2005). In West Africa, the Baoulé community of Côte d’Ivoire uses crushed seeds paste mixed with lemon juice and water for painting toys, wooden masks and door posts (Jansen, 2005). There are also the reports of the use of natural dye in leather (Selvi et al., 2013), solar cells and other industries (Shahid-ul-Islam et al., 2016, Dequigiovanni et al., 2018). The fruit pericarp, a byproduct of colour extraction industries has potentiality as a biofuel as it shows better fuel value index than other plant biomass fuel sources (Parimalan et al., 2007).

Conclusion Bixa orellana has traditionally being used a natural colourant since ancient time by various indigenous community in tropics. It is evident from this investigation that the chemical constituents of plant are responsible for its commercial and medicinal value. Thus there is a need to explore the phyto-therapeutics potential along with application of modern scientific techniques for mass propagation and conservation of this plant.

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