Abstract

A REVIEW OF BIXIN BIOSYNTHESIS IN BIXA ORELLANA ROLE AS ANTIOXIDANT, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANTICANCER, AND SKIN PROTECTING NATURAL PRODUCT EXTRACTED FROM BIXA ORELLANA L.

*Ms. Nandini, Mr. Dhiraj Kumar, Ms. Supriya Singh, Ms. Neha Jain, Ms. Shivani Sharma, Ms. Preeti Singh

Abstract

Since long, medicinal plants or herbs are being used in different traditional treatment systems as therapeutic agents to treat a variety of illnesses. Bixa orellana L., an medicinal plant (Family: Bixaceae), is an Ayurvedic herb used to treat dyslipidemia, diarrhoea, and hepatitis since ancient times. B. orellana L., seeds contain an orange-red coloured component known as bixin (C25H30O4), which constitutes 80% of the extract. Chemically, bixin is a natural apocarotenoid, biosynthesized through the oxidative degradation of C40 carotenoids. Bixin helps to regulate the Nrf2/MyD88/TLR4 and TGF-1/PPAR- /Smad3 pathways, which further give it antifibrosis, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This current review article presents a comprehensive review of bixin as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and skin protecting natural product. In addition, the biosynthesis and molecular target of bixin, along with bixin extraction techniques, are also presented. Bixa orellana (Family Bixaceae) is a neotropical fast growing perennial tree of great agroindustrial value because its seeds have a high carotenoid content, mainly bixin. It has been used since pre-colonial times as a culinary colorant and spice, and for healing purposes. It is currently used as a natural pigment in the food, in pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, and it is commercially known as annatto. Recently, several studies have addressed the biological and medical properties of this natural pigment, both as potential source of new drugs or because its ingestion as a condiment or diet supplement may protect against several diseases. The most documented properties are anti-oxidative; but its anti-cancer, hypoglycemic, anti-biotic and anti-inflammatory properties are also being studied. Bixin’s pathway elucidation and its regulation mechanisms are critical to improve the produce of this important carotenoid. Even though the bixin pathway has been established, the regulation of the genes involved in bixin production remains largely unknown. Our laboratory recently published B. orellana’s transcriptome and we have identified most of its MEP (methyl-Derythritol 4-phosphate) and carotenoid pathway genes. Annatto is a potential source of new drugs and can be a valuable nutraceutical supplement. However, its nutritional and healing properties require further study.

Keywords: Bixin, Bixa Orellana, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, skin protecting, apocarotenoids, bixin biosynthesis, anti-cancer, antigenotoxic, antioxidant, hypoglycemic.