Abstract

STUDY OF EXTRACTION, OPTIMIZATION AND PURIFICATION OF NATURAL FOOD COLORANT FROM THE SEEDS OF ANNATTO

Sangeeta A. Pingale*

Abstract

Annatto is the seed of the tropical bush bixa ornellana ,grows in India at coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Annatto products bixin and norbixin are carotenoids having colour shades of yellow, yellow orange to orange red.The present study was designed to study the extraction, purification and optimization of natural colorant from the seeds of Annatto. The seeds of annatto has been processed by following different methods for the extraction of natural colorant : Extraction with simple soaking and agitation method, Extraction with methanol by using sohxlet apparatus, Extraction with aqueous potassium or sodium hydroxide, Extraction with ethanol by using sohxlet apparatus. The colour yield from each method was 2.3%, 4.2%, 2.6% and 8.09 % respectively. Further the purification and optimization process was done for highest yield method i.e. extraction with ethanol by using sohxlet apparatus. For optimization various parameters such as Temperature, Time, No. of extractions, Varying ratio of seed/solvent were studied. Following results for each parameters were noted optimum for highest yield: Temperature: 350C, No.extractions: 13, Seed: Solvent ratio-1:20 and Time 1 hr. The investigator conclude that extraction with ethanol by using sohxlet apparatus is the best method for highest purified yield of 17.28 % bixin after applying the optimized set of parameters such Temp, No. extractions, Seed : Solvent ratio and Time.

Keywords: bixin, norbixin, sohxlet extraction, food colorant.