title: In vitro scavenging capacity of annatto seed extracts against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.
abstract: 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 IC(50) values.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6121, 13083-862 Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renan Campos
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chisté
authors.forename: Adriana Zerlotti
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Mercadante
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Eduarda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: José Luís Fontes da Costa
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Neura
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bragagnolo