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Atsuete used for diabetes, diarrhea, fevers, fluid retention, heartburn, malaria, and hepatitis.r...(more)

What is Atsuete? Atsuete is a seed used primarilly as colorant, widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas.....(more)

Atsuete Preparation Atsuete seeds are used as pounded into powder, mixed with oils and other herbs...(more)

Scientific Name: Bixa Orellana Linn

Common Names :Annatto, Atsuete, Lipstick plant (English), Yan zhi shu (Chinese), Rocou, Atole (French), Anattosamen (German), Lathwa (Hindi), Achihuite, Pumacua (Spanish), Kham ngo, Kham thai (Thai), Atchuete, Achoete (Tagalog)

Atsuete also called Annatto (Bixa orellana) is a small tree native to the tropical region of Southern America. Atsuete is widely cultivated for its fruit seeds where a natural colorant is derived. Aside from the commercial value of Atsuete as a source of annatto colorant, Atsuete has long been used by the natives of Southern America as dye for food and textile, as decorative body paint, in spiritual ceremonies and rituals and as an herbal medicine.

Atsuete Nutritional value per 5 tsp
Energy 108 kcal
Carbohydrates	20 g
Dietary fiber	11 g
Fat g	0.0
Protein	4.0 g
Folate (Vit. B9) 87.8g	22%
Vitamin C  21 mg	1%
Calcium  75 mg	5%
Sodium	5 mg
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.

Atsuete or annatto is commercially used as food coloring and may be found as the yellow coloring for butter, margarine, chorizo, cheese, smoked fish and other food products.

Atsuete may be bought in different froms such as seeds, grounded powder, as a paste, or infused in cooking oil or lard. Atsuete or annatto are usually available in spice isle of bigger grocery stores or ethnic spice stores. Atsuete are packed in bottles, vacuum sealed bricks, bags, and in tin cans.

Atsuete leaves, shoots and bark can only be acquired from the tree and it is rarely availble elsewhere.

When buying Atsuete seeds, look for the bright red or orange red ones since these are newer and fresher. Avoid buying the dull and brown seeds, these are signs of age and may already lost its potency.

Ground or powdered Atsuete is often mixed with other herbs, spices, and even cornstarch. Shelf life in air tight container reach up to 3 years. While those mixed with oil may be used within 3 months when properly refrigerated.

Atsuete leaves, shoots and bark are usually boiled in water. It may also be pounded and mixed with other natural oils and herbs.

Atsuete seeds, powder, concoction and infusion may be taken orally depending on preparation, such as in food preparation and medicines or may also be applied topically or externally.

Medicinal Uses of Atsuete Leaves:

• Concoction of leaves are used to wash burn wounds to promote healing.
  
• The infusion of leaves are used as purgative in dysentery.
  
• Boiled leaves (shoots) are applied to the head and body to treat fever.
  
• Boiled leaves (young shoots) are used as gargle for sore throat
  
• Pounded leaves mixed with coconut oil are applied to the forehead for headaches.
  
• Poultice of leaves are used to treat gonorrhoea
  
• Atsuete leaves are used to treat snake bites,
  
• Extracts from Atsuete leaves, roots and barks are used as antidote for cassava poisoning. Jatropha poisoning and allergy from sandbox tree.
  
• Decoction of leaves are used to treat nausea and vomiting.
• Boiled leaves are used to treat gastric and stomach ailments.

Medicinal Uses of Atsuete Pulp

• Atsuete pulp is used to prevent scars due to blisters.
  
• Atsuete pulp is used to stop bleeding.
  
• Pulvorized pulp is used to treat fever.
  
• Atsuete pulp is also used to treat constipation, dysentery and gonorrhoea.
  

Medicinal Uses of Atsuete Flowers

• Infusion of flowers used as expectorant for young children
  

Medicinal Uses of Atsuete Seeds

• The seeds, ground and boiled, also used for burns.
  
• Fresh seeds when moistened produce a reddish colored juice that is applied to red rashes.
  
• The seeds are used as antidote for cassava and J. urcas poisoning.
  
• Fine powder that covers the seeds is used as hemostatic, and internally as stomachic.
  
• Seed oil used for leprosy.
  
• The achuete dye used with lime for the treatment of erysipelas.
  
• In Uruguay seeds are ground and boiled and used on burns.
  
• In West Indian folk medicine, used for diabetes mellitus.
  
• In Guatemala used for treatment of gonorrhea.
  
• Female aphrodisiac in the Amazonia
  Bark and branches
  
• Decoction of bark used for febrile catarrh.
  
• Also used for wound healing, regulation of heavy menses, and thinning hair.
  
• Mucilage produced from infusion of fresh branches used a emollient in the Antilles..
  
• In traditional Peruvian medicine, used to treat heartburn and stomach distress caused by spicy foods; also, as a vaginal antiseptic and cicatrizant.

Anti-inflammatory Activity of Atsuete Extract

Atsuete or Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) has been traditionally used in Central and South America to treat a number of ailments, including internal inflammation. This medicinal use has been supported by a laboratory study done in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Where the anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract of Atsuete was tested in a chemically induced inflammation in rats.

The study concluded that the aqueous extract of Atsuete inhibited the histamine-induced  paw edema as compared to a control group. These results confirmed the validity of the use of Atsuete extract in the treatment of inflammatory disorders.
Ref: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23410184

 

Antigonorrhoeal activity of Atsuete

In a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology of October 1995, the Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy in Guatemala found that the bark of Bixa orella (Atsuete,  annatto) has the ability to inhibit the development of five strains of N. gonorrhoea through the process of standard bacteriological procedures. This study supports the traditional herbal use of Atsuete in the treatment of gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted disease.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=bixa+orellana+gonorrhoea

 

 

Atsuete extract and β-carotene enhances antioxidant status and regulate gene expression in neutrophils of diabetic rats.

The antioxidant activity of Atsuete extract was investigated in Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil. The study showed that the treatment of Atsuete extract and β-carotene has  decreased the reactive oxidative species production and the mRNA levels of p22(phox) and p47(phox) while it increased the mRNA levels of SOD and CAT in neutrophils from diabetic rats. These data suggest that Atsuete extract and β-carotene exerts antioxidant effect via inhibition of expression of the NADPH oxidase subunits and increase expression/activity of antioxidant enzymes. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22239725

 

Hypoglycaemic activity of Bixa orellana (Atsuete).

West Indian folklore uses Bixa orellana (Atsuete) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Preliminary studies have shown that a crude annatto seed extract exhibited either glucose lowering or hyperglycaemia-inducing activity depending on how it was further manipulated.

A study done in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of West Indies, Jamaica, investigated this further and has found that Atsuete extract can indeed decrease blood glucose levels in fasting normoglycaemic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic dogs. Likewise, Atsuete seed extract suppressed the postprandial rise in blood glucose after an oral glucose load.

Moreover, the aciote extract also caused an increase in insulin-to-glucose ratio in normal dogs. It was concluded that Bixa orellana (Atsuete) lowered blood glucose by stimulating peripheral utilization of glucose. This data confirmed that Atsuete extract has glucose-lowering activity and might be of pharmacological importance. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18773125

 

Anticancer Activity of Atsuete Pigment (norbixin)

Norbixin, a pigment of Bixa orellana (Atsuete) was believed to possess antioxidant potential being a carotenoid. This property has been examined in the Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and has identified that Norbixin is an unusual dicarboxylic water-soluble carotenoid present as a component in the pericarp of the seeds of Bixa orellana L.

Norbixin on the response of Escherichia coli cells to DNA damage induced by UV radiation, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anions (O2*-)) has protective activity against these agents.  It was also found that that norbixin has antimutagenic properties, with a maximum inhibition of H2O2-induced mutagenic activity of 87%, based on the Salmonella mutagenicity test. These results suggests that Atsuete pigment (norbixin) has effectively quenched free radicals and may be of valuable pharmacological application against cancer. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15841440

 

 

Atsuete is considered safe when consumed in food amounts.

Atsuete may cause allergic reaction for highly sensitive people, while there are rare cases where anaphylaxis has been reported.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of Atsuete as medicine during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Surgery: Atsuete has been known to affect blood sugar levels, Do not use Atsuete medicines at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Diabetes; If under diabetes medication, Atsuete may further lower blood sugar level, monitor your blood sugar level always and consult your doctor for diabetes medication needs adjustment.

 

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