Bixin extraction from annatto seed (Bixa orellana) using Ethyl acetate

Abstract:

Bixins, a natural carotenoid pigment, extracted from annatto seed (Bixa orellana)
has a great commercial application in food, textile, leather and pharmaceutical
industries worldwide. In order to extract bixin from annatto seed, magnetic stirring
of seeds weighing 4.2 g in ethyl acetate, evaporation and column chromatography
of crude pigments using a mixture of ethyl acetate and dichloro methane (3:7) as
eluent accompanied with 1H NMR, GC-MS, UV-spetrophotometric and
Fluorescence spectroscopic analysis resulted that the crude solid extract contained
32.1% of bixin. This low per cent due to low performance of column extraction.
Extraction methods will be explored cautiously for 100% pigment extraction and
purification