Bixa orellana

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Malvales

Familia: Bixaceae
Genus: Bixa
Species: Bixa orellana
Name

Bixa orellana L.
Synonyms

Homotypic
Bixa tinctaria Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 369 (1796), nom. superfl.
Orellana orellana (L.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 3(2): 9 (1898), not validly publ.
Heterotypic
Bixa orleana Noronha, Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunsten 5(4): 8 (1790), orth. var.
Bixa americana Poir. in J.B.A.P.M.de Lamarck, Encycl. 6: 229 (1804).
Bixa purpurea Sweet, Hort. Brit.: 33 (1826).
Bixa odorata Ruiz & Pav. ex G.Don, Gen. Hist. 1: 295 (1831).
Bixa acuminata Bojer, Hortus Maurit.: 20 (1837), not validly publ.
Orellana americana (Poir.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 44 (1891).
Orellana americana var. leiocarpa Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 45 (1891).
Orellana americana var. normalis Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 45 (1891), not validly publ.
Bixa upatensis Ram.Goyena, Fl. Nicarag. 1: 217 (1909).
Bixa orellana f. leiocarpa (Kuntze) J.F.Macbr., Publ. Field Columb. Mus., Bot. Ser. 14(4): 11 (1941).
Bixa orellana var. leiocarpa (Kuntze) Standl. & L.O.Williams, Fieldiana, Bot. 29: 358 (1961).
Bixa katangensis Delpierre, Taxon 19: 304 (1970).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Southern America
Argentina (Chaco, Cordoba, Formosa, Salta), S-Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina), Paraguay (Amambay, Central, Cordillera, Paraguari, Pres. Hayes), Venezuela (Amazonas, Aragua, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro, Distrito Federal, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Sucre, Tachira), N-Brazil (Roraima, Amapa, Para, Amazonas, Tocantins, Acre, Rondonia), NE-Brazil (Ceara, Bahia), WC-Brazil (Mato Grosso, Goias), SE-Brazil (Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Sao Paulo), Galapagos Isl., Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Colombia (Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlntico, Bolvar, Boyac, Caldas, Caquet, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Choc, Crdoba, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nario, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindo, Risaralda, San Andrs, Providencia y Santa Catalina, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle, Vaups, Vichada), Bolivia (Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Pando, Santa Cruz, Tarija), Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama
Continental: Northern America
Mexico (Tabasco, Chiapas, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, etc.)

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 512. Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Bixa orellana in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 May 03. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2019. Bixa orellana. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2019 May 03. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Bixa orellana. Published online. Accessed: May 03 2019.
The Plant List 2013. Bixa orellana in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published online. Accessed: 2019 May 03.
Tropicos.org 2019. Bixa orellana. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 03 May 2019.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Bixa orellana in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.

Vernacular names
English: Achiote
suomi: Annatto
français: Roucou
Tagalog: Atsuwete

Bixa orellana, also known as achiote, is a shrub native to Central America.[3][4] Bixa orellana is grown in many countries worldwide.[3]

The tree is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment (also called achiote or bijol) obtained from the waxy arils that cover its seeds.[3][4] The ground seeds are widely used in traditional dishes in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, such as cochinita pibil, chicken in achiote, caldo de olla, and nacatamal. Annatto and its extracts are also used as an industrial food coloring to add yellow or orange color to many products such as butter, cheese, margarine, ice creams, meats, and condiments.[3] Some of the indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South American originally used the seeds to make red body paint and lipstick, as well as a spice.[4] For this reason, the Bixa orellana is sometimes called the lipstick tree.[3][4]

The species name, Bixa orellana, was given by Linnaeus after the Spanish conquistador, Francisco de Orellana, an early explorer of the Amazon River.[4][5] The name achiote derives from the Nahuatl word for the shrub, āchiotl [aːˈt͡ʃiot͡ɬ]. It may also be referred to as aploppas, or by its original Tupi name uruku, urucu or urucum ("red color"), which is also used for the body paint prepared from its seeds.[3]

Etymology and common names

The botanical genus name derives from the aboriginal Taíno word "bixa", while the specific epithet was derived in honor of the Amazon explorer Francisco de Orellana.[4] Colloquial names include bija, roucou, orellana, annatto, achiote, and many other names used regionally.[3] The nickname, "lipstick tree", derived from use of the dye as a cosmetic.[4]
Description

Bixa orellana is a perennial, tall shrub that can reach 6–10 m (20–33 ft) high.[3][4][6] It bears clusters of 5 cm (2 in) bright white or pink flowers, resembling single wild roses, that appear at the tips of the branches.[3] The fruits of the Bixa orellana are globular, ovoid capsules arranged in clusters resembling spiky looking red-brown seed pods covered in soft spines.[3] Each capsule, or pod, contains 30–45 cone-shaped seeds covered in a thin waxy blood-red aril.[3] When fully mature, the pod dries, hardens, and splits open, thereby exposing the seeds.[3]

The shrub is most well known as the source of the red-orange annatto pigment. The pigment is derived from the pericarp (the waxy aril layer that covers the seeds) of the Bixa orellana fruit.[3][4] The red-orange annatto dye is rich in the carotenoid pigments, 80% which consists of bixin (the red pigment) and norbixin or orelline (the yellow pigment).[3][7][8]
Distribution

Although the exact origin of Bixa orellana is unknown, it is native to northern South America and the Central American tropics: "it is said to be indigenous by Seemann on the northwest coast of Mexico and Panama, by Triana in New Granada, by Meyer in Dutch Guiana, and by Piso and Claussen in Brazil".[4] Additionally, Bixa orellana is found in substantial wild and cultivated acreages from Mexico to Ecuador, Brazil, and Bolivia.[3] Although an invasive species, it is cultivated in many world regions.[3]

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the annatto dye was distributed to Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Hawaii and southeastern North America in tropical and subtropical regions through trading exchanges.[3][4] It became cultivated in tropical regions of Asia, such as India, Sri Lanka, and Java mainly for the dye which the seeds yield.[3]
Cultivation
Achiote flower
Mature achiote pods, showing the red seeds

Bixa orellana grows easily in subtropical to tropical climates, in frost-free regions sheltered from cool winds.[3] It prefers year-round moisture, good drainage, and moderately fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. It can be propagated from seed and cuttings. Cutting-grown plants flower at a younger age than seedlings.[9]

The main commercial producers of B. orellana are countries in Latin America (specifically Peru, Brazil and Mexico), which constitute 60% of total world production followed by Africa (27% of total world production) and Asia (12% of total world production).[10][better source needed] Production statistics are not usually available and would not provide a reliable guide to international trade, since many of the producing countries use significant quantities domestically (e.g., Brazil is a large producer and consumer, needing additional imports). Annual world production of dried annatto seed at the beginning of the 21st century was estimated at about 10,000 tons, of which 7,000 tons enter international trade. Peru is the largest exporter of annatto seed, annually about 4,000 tons; Brazil the largest producer, with about 5,000 tons. Kenya exports annually about 1,500 tons annatto seed and extracts and is the second-largest exporter, after Peru. Côte d'Ivoire and Angola are also exporters.[11]
Industrial uses
Oil of Bixa orellana

Before synthetic dyes revolutionized industry, Bixa orellana (which is the only plant to produce the pigment bixin)[12] was planted commercially. The pigment is extracted from the pericarp of the seeds through use of alkaline water, vegetable oil, or organic solvents.[3][7]

The annatto pigment has global economic significance, as it is one of the most widely used natural dyes to color food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. It is used commonly in foods because the coloring does not alter the flavor and is not toxic.[4] It is mainly used to dye ice cream, meats, dairy products (cheeses, butter and margarine) and condiments.[3][4] Cosmetic products include lipstick, hair coloring products, nail polish, soaps, lacquers and paints.[4]

Annatto oil is also rich in tocotrienols, beta-carotene, essential oils, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids, and vitamin C.[13]
Culinary uses

Ground Bixa orellana seeds are often mixed with other seeds or spices to form a paste or powder for culinary uses in Latin American, Jamaican, Chamorro, and Filipino cuisines. The seeds are heated in oil or lard to extract their dye and flavor for use in dishes and processed foods such as cheese, butter, soup, gravy, sauces, cured meats, and other items. The seeds impart a subtle flavor and aroma and a yellow to reddish-orange color to food.

A condiment called sazón is commonly used in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean cuisine for meats and fish. The Spanish word sazón means "season" or "seasoning". Sazón is made with ground Bixa orellana seeds and packaged into small, disposable foil packets for easy use. Additionally, cumin, coriander seeds, salt, and garlic powder are included in these sazón condiment packets.[14] On Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands, the annatto pigment is also used to make yellow rice and is sometimes added to sofrito.[14] Additionally, in the French Caribbean, it is added to a fish or pork stew called blaff.[14]

In Brazil, a powder known as colorau or colorífico is made from the ground seeds combined with filler seeds like maize. This powder is similar to and sometimes replaces paprika.[15] In Nicaragua, the most common way it used in their cuisine and dishes is in the form of a paste used in many dishes,[16] including chancho con yuca, nacatamal, and fritanga. The Yucatecan condiment called recado rojo, or "achiote paste", is made from ground Bixa orellana seeds combined with other spices and is a mainstay in Mexican and Belizean cuisines.[17]
Traditional uses

One major traditional use of the Bixa orellana plant was for body, face, and hair paint among various tribes and ancient civilizations either for decorative purposes or as omens to ward off evil spirits and illnesses.[4][18] It has been reported to be used by Brazilian native tribes, the native Taínos in Puerto Rico, the Tsáchila of Ecuador and different Amazonian tribes.[4][18][19] As a result of the Spanish Conquest, the Bixa orellana was introduced to tribes like the Aztecs, Incas and Mochicas, who showed evidence of later use.[18] The Aztecs also apparently used the annatto pigment as red ink for manuscript painting in the 16th century.[4][19]

Bixa orellana is used in traditional medicine.[4][7] The tree has been used in Ayurveda, the folk medicine practices of India, where different parts of the plant are thought to be useful as therapy.[20]

The plant is valued for its stem fiber to make rope mats and for the adhesive gum.[21][22][23]

Bixa orellana - MHNT

References

Wheeler, L. & Beech, E. 2019. Bixa orellana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T61986316A61986320. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T61986316A61986320.en. Downloaded on 11 October 2021.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
"Bixa orellana (annatto)". Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI). 27 September 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
Morton, Julia F. (1960). "Can Annatto (Bixa orellana, L.), an old source of food color, meet new needs for safe dye?". Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society. 73: 301–309. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
Levy, Luis W.; Rivadeneira, Diana M. (2000). "Annatto". In Lauro, Gabriel J.; Francis, F. Jack (eds.). Natural Food Colorants Science and Technology. IFT Basic Symposium Series. New York: Marcel Dekker. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-8247-0421-6.
"Plants profile for Bixa orellana (lipsticktree)". Plants database, US Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
Vilar, Daniela de Araújo; Vilar, Marina Suênia de Araujo; Moura, Túlio Flávio Accioly de Lima e; et al. (2014). "Traditional Uses, Chemical Constituents, and Biological Activities of Bixa orellana L.: A Review". The Scientific World Journal. 2014: 857292. doi:10.1155/2014/857292. ISSN 2356-6140. PMC 4094728. PMID 25050404.
Ul-Islam, S.; Rather, L. J.; Mohammad, F. (2015). "Phytochemistry, biological activities and potential of annatto in natural colorant production for industrial applications – A review". Journal of Advanced Research. 7 (3): 499–514. doi:10.1016/j.jare.2015.11.002. PMC 4856788. PMID 27222755.
Lord, Tony (2003) Flora : The Gardener's Bible : More than 20,000 garden plants from around the world. London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-36435-5.
Raddatz-Mota, Denise; Pérez-Flores, Laura J.; Carrari, Fernando; et al. (May 2017). "Achiote (Bixa orellana L.): a natural source of pigment and vitamin E". Journal of Food Science and Technology. 54 (6): 1729–1741. doi:10.1007/s13197-017-2579-7. ISSN 0022-1155. PMC 5430180. PMID 28559632.
Jansen, P. C. M. (2005). Jansen, P. C. M.; Cardon, D. (eds.). "Bixa orellana L." PROTA 3: Dyes and tannins/Colorants et tanins. PROTA. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 5 Oct 2014.
Bouvier, Florence; Dogbo, Odette; Camara, Bilal (2003). "Biosynthesis of the Food and Cosmetic Plant Pigment Bixin (Annatto)". Science. 300 (5628): 2089–2091. ISSN 0036-8075.
Ângela de Almeida Meireles, Maria; Lima Cavalcante de Albuquerque, Carolina. "Processo otimizado para obtenção de óleo rico em antioxidantes de urucum" (PDF). Inova (in Portuguese). Unicamp. Retrieved 2 Jun 2015.
"Achiote: The Spice That Dyes Food Yellow". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
"New Crops from Brazil". Purdue University. 1990. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
Gonzalez, Martha (30 Sep 2017). "El achiote un colorante saludable" (in Spanish). Editorial La Prensa S.A. Retrieved 27 Aug 2021.
"RECIPE: Recado Rojo". LOS DOS. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
Donkin, R. A. (1974). "Bixa Orellana: "The Eternal Shrub"". Anthropos. 69 (1/2): 33–56. ISSN 0257-9774. JSTOR 40458510.
"Colorants Used During Mexico's Early Colonial Period". Stanford University. 1997. Archived from the original on March 20, 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
Khare, C. P. (2007). Indian Medicinal Plants. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. ISBN 978-0-387-70638-2.
Ellison, Don (1999). Cultivated Plants of the World. London, New Holland.
Graf, Alfred Byrd (1986). Tropica: color cyclopedia of exotic plants and trees for warm-region horticulture—in cool climate the summer garden or sheltered indoors (3rd ed.). East Rutherford, N.J.: Roehrs Co.
Macoboy, Stirling (1979). What Tree is That? (1st ed.). Sydney, Australia: Ure Smith. ISBN 0-7254-0480-9.