Annato has wide genetic varieties that are known by different names including "focinho de rato", "cabeça de moleque", peruana, "bico de pato", yellow and piave. Different properties are used to characterize them, namely, size of plant, production period, shape and fruit color, dehiscence, etc. The last decade have been marked by genetic improvement researches, in order to reach greater productivity and, especially, higher pigment content. The IAC has at the Polo Regional Centro Norte, in Campinas-SP, a collection of annatto plants with more than 25 varieties, which in previous studies were evaluated regarding their agronomic characteristics. However, bixin and lipids levels were not studied and both characteristics of the annatto seeds are very important, once the industrial performance during dyes production may be directly affected. The aim of the present study was to validate a methodology for bixin determination in annatto seeds and to evaluate the IAC collection for bixin and lipids content. The proposed method showed a linear response for each compound analyzed in the work concentration range. The detection and quantification limits for the bixin, were, respectively 0.31 and 0.63 g per 100 g seeds. The repeatability study revealed a precise method; thus, significant variations have occurred when some parameters are changed, such as sample amount, time of extraction and absorption coefficient (). The trees in the collection exhibited relatively high levels of bixin in the seeds, ranging (on dried basis) from 3,12 ± 0,06% to 6,26 ± 0,06%. The levels of lipid varied from 1,97 ± 0% to 3,98 ± 0,09%. No correlation was observed between bixin and lipids concentrations.
Annato; bixin; lipids
