Search Results (6)

Bixin, an apocarotenoid from Bixa orellana seeds, is a valuable natural pigment with industrial and pharmacological applications. Traditional extraction methods rely on organic solvents, but eco-friendly alternatives like silk fibroin solution (SFS) are emerging. This study evaluated SFS for bixin extraction from annatto seeds, optimizing conditions using Box-Behnken Design (BBD). The optimal parameters 1.5% SFS, 60 °C, and 60 min yielded 10.87 mg/mL (liquid extract of annatto seeds, LEAS + SFS) and 150.72 mg/g (solid extract of annatto seeds, SEAS + SFS). Cell viability was assessed in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFn) and RAW 264.7 murine macrophages via MTT assay. After 24 and 72 h, LEAS + SFS, SEAS + SFS, purified bixin (PB), and SFS maintained >70% viability in HDFn cells. Similarly, RAW 264.7 cells showed >70% viability after 24 h, indicating low cytotoxicity. These results highlight the biocompatibility of SFS-extracted bixin, supporting its potential in food, cosmetics, and biomedicine. The study demonstrates that SFS is an effective, sustainable alternative to traditional solvents, offering high extraction efficiency and minimal toxicity. This method aligns with green chemistry principles, providing a promising solution for bixin production. Full article

Urucum, also known as annatto, is a plant native to Brazil. However, there is a notable scarcity of scientific studies focusing on the wastewater generated by the annatto natural dye industry. This study seeks to address the existing knowledge gaps by presenting original and substantive data pertaining to this economic sector. This study investigates the degradation of carotenoids in real annatto dye wastewater through the application of an O₃/H₂O₂ oxidation process. A 2³ factorial experimental design was utilized to determine the influence of three key variables—pH (2.5–5.5), O₃ mass flow rate (8.0–18.0 mg min⁻¹), and initial H₂O₂ concentration (between 1.572 and 4.716 g L⁻¹)—on both the degradation efficiency and the associated reaction kinetics. The process demonstrated impressive carotenoid removal, achieving degradation efficiencies between 84% and 97% with pseudo-first-order kinetic constants ranging from 0.0310 to 0.0805 min⁻¹. A statistical analysis revealed that the O₃ mass flow rate was the most influential factor on the degradation efficiency, while all the operational parameters played significant roles in determining the degradation kinetics. Notably, the process achieved optimal performance without the need for pH adjustment, presenting a cost-efficient solution for industrial applications. These findings offer critical insights into the treatment of high-strength agro-industrial wastewater, thereby advancing the development and implementation of oxidation processes for wastewater management. Full article

Bixin is the main carotenoid found in the outer portion of the seeds of Bixa orellana L., commercially known as annatto. This compound is industrially employed in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food formulations as a natural dye to replace chemical additives. This study aimed to extract bixin from annatto seeds and obtain encapsulated bixin in a powder form, using freeze-drying encapsulation and maltodextrin as encapsulating agent. Bixin was extracted from annatto seeds employing successive washing with organic solvents, specifically hexane and methanol (1:1 v/v), followed by ethyl acetate and dichloromethane for subsequent washes, to effectively remove impurities and enhance bixin purity, and subsequent purification by crystallization, reaching 1.5 ± 0.2% yield (or approximately 15 mg of bixin per gram of seeds). Bixin was analyzed spectrophotometrically in different organic solvents (ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, dimethylsulfoxide, chloroform, hexane), and the solvents chosen were chloroform (used to solubilize bixin during microencapsulation) and hexane (used for spectrophotometric determination of bixin). Bixin was encapsulated according to a 2² experimental design to investigate the influence of the concentration of maltodextrin (20 to 40%) and bixin-to-matrix ratio (1:20 to 1:40) on the encapsulation efficiency (EE%) and solubility of the encapsulated powder. Higher encapsulation efficiency was obtained at a maltodextrin concentration of 40% w/v and a bixin/maltodextrin ratio of 1:20, while higher solubility was observed at a maltodextrin concentration of 20% w/v for the same bixin/maltodextrin ratio. The encapsulation of this carotenoid by means of freeze-drying is thus recognized as an innovative and promising approach to improve its stability for further processing in pharmaceutical and food applications. Full article

The Brazilian Legal Amazon region is divided into at least 155 ethnic groups and has the largest concentration of Indigenous people globally. It represents one of the most extraordinary levels of human, cultural, and artistic diversity, but its material culture is one of the least well-studied. This is especially true in technical art history and conservation science, largely due to (1) the limited international awareness of the richness of materials and techniques used by these Indigenous people and (2) the limitations of knowledge access for many scientists to literature usually published in Portuguese within social sciences and humanities. One result is that these arts are marginalized within technical art history, conservation, and conservation science. To address this knowledge gap, the authors explore 70 materials—among them pigments, dyes, binding media, and varnishes—used for paint production and coloring processes, including syntheses. The authors facilitate research possibilities within technical art history, conservation, and conservation science by presenting data from historical texts from the 18th and 19th centuries and more recent scientific literature. The work aims to build a more global, inclusive, and decentralized vision of art history and to create a more pluralistic narrative of Indigenous art history from South America. Full article

Aspilia grazielae (J. U. Santos) is an endemic plant species in Morro do Urucum in the Pantanal wetland (Brazil). A. grazielae is used for the restoration of areas impacted by iron mining activities. This study evaluates the diversity (composition, value and abundance) of endophytic fungal communities, considering parts of the plant and soil condition. The leaves and roots of A. grazielae were collected from native vegetation areas (NVA) and recovery areas (RCA) in Morro do Urucum. Illumina sequencing technology was used to investigate variation in endophytic fungal biodiversity. The operational taxonomic units detected in NVA ranged from 183 to 263 (leaf) and 115 to 285 (root), while RCA samples ranged from 200 to 282 (leaf) and 156 to 348 (root). Ascomycota phylum was the most common species among all plant samples. The most significant classes identified were Lecanoromycetes and Dothideomycetes that differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) according to their plant hosts and soil stress. The relative abundance of Pestalotiopsis (Sordariomycetes class) and Stereocaulon (Lecanoromycetes class) genera was influenced by the iron mining activities according to the leaf samples analysed. However, the abundance and wealth of endophytic fungal communities in A. grazielae from RCA were evidence that could explain their high resilience to environmental disturbances and the source-sink dynamics of fungal propagules. Full article

This work developd nanomaterials formulated from annatto seed oily extract (ASE), myristic acid (tetradecanoic acid), and their fatty acid esters. The annatto seed oily extract was obtained using only soybean oil (ASE + SO) and Brazil nut oil (ASE + BNO). The UV/VIS analysis of the oily extracts showed three characteristic peaks of the bixin molecule at 430, 456 and 486 nm. The lipid nanoparticles obtained using myristic acid and ASE + BNO or only BNO showed better results than the oil soybean extract, i.e., the particle size was <200 nm, PDI value was in the range of 0.2–0.3, and had no visual physical instability as they kept stable for 28 days at 4 °C. Lipid nanoemulsions were also produced with esters of myristic acid and ASE + BNO. These fatty acid esters significantly influenced the particle size of nanoemulsions. For instance, methyl tetradecanoate led to the smallest particle size nanoemulsions (124 nm), homogeneous size distribution, and high physical stability under 4 and 32 °C for 28 days. This work demonstrates that the chemical composition of vegetable oils and myristic acid esters, the storage temperature, the chain length of fatty acid esters (FAE), and their use as co-lipids improve the physical stability of lipid nanoemulsions and nanoparticles from annatto seed oily extract. Full article