Among the natural colorants, annatto is the most used in Brazil. However, the use of annatto extracts has been under control in relation to the amount allowed and the varieties of products in which the extracts can be added. One of the reasons is the insufficient knowledge about the composition of annatto and its preparations. In the present study, a new carotenoid was isolated in trace amount and purified through semi-preparative column, thin layer and high performance liquid chromatography. Its structure was partially elucidated by the combined information from spectra of UV/visible, mass and proton nuclear magnetic resonance, including two dimensional technique). This is the first report on the occurrence of a high molecular weight alcohol linked to the carotenoid (9'Z)-apo-6'-lycopenoic.
carotenoid; annatto; chemical structure
