In vitro scavenging capacity of annatto seed extracts against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 127; no. 2; pp. 419 - 426
• Main Authors: Chisté, Renan Campos, Mercadante, Adriana Zerlotti, Gomes, Ana, Fernandes, Eduarda, Lima, José Luís Fontes da Costa, Bragagnolo, Neura
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15-07-2011; [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antioxidant capacity; Biological and medical sciences; Bixa orellana; Bixin; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Phenolic compounds; RNS; ROS; Antioxidant capacity; Bixa orellana; Phenolic compounds; Bixin; RNS; ROS; Oxygen; Seeds; Extract; Antioxidant; Nitrogen; In vitro; Bixaceae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Phenols; Spermatophyta; Species
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.12.139

► Annatto seed extracts as efficient in vitro scavengers of ROS and RNS. ► Bixin possesses high scavenging activity against ROS and RNS. ► Hypolaetin and caffeoyl acid derivative: the main phenolic compounds in annatto seeds.
Bixa orellana L. (annatto), from Bixaceae family, is a native plant of tropical America, which accumulates several carotenoids (including bixin and norbixin), terpenoids, tocotrienols and flavonoids with potential antioxidant activity. In the present study, the in vitro scavenging capacity of annatto seed extracts against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) was evaluated and compared to the bixin standard. Annatto extracts were obtained using solvents with different polarities and their phenolic compounds and bixin levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector. All annatto extracts were able to scavenge all the reactive species tested at the low μg/mL range, with the exception of superoxide radical. The ethanol:ethyl acetate and ethyl acetate extracts of annatto seeds, which presented the highest levels of hypolaetin and bixin, respectively, were the extracts with the highest antioxidant capacity, although bixin standard presented the lowest IC50 values.