Bixin
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Bixin is an apocarotenoid found in the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana)[1] from which it derives its name. It is commonly extracted from the seeds to form annatto, a natural food coloring, containing about 5% pigments, of which 70–80% are bixin.[2]
Applications
File:Bixa orellana fruit open.jpg Red seeds of the achiote tree File:CheetosCrop.jpg Bixin is one of the colorants used in the snack Cheetos.
Several thousand tons are harvested annually.[3]
Chemical properties
Bixin is unstable. It isomerizes into trans-bixin (β-bixin), the double-bond isomer.[4]
File:Trans-bixin.png Chemical structure of trans-bixin
Bixin is soluble in fats and alcohols but insoluble in water. Upon exposure to alkali, the methyl ester is hydrolyzed to produce the dicarboxylic acid norbixin, a water-soluble derivative.
File:Norbixin structure.png Chemical structure of norbixin
References
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- ↑ Executive Summary Bixin Template:Webarchive, National Toxicology Program
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