Achiote (Wild peruvian achiote)

Achiote, Bixa orellana:

The foliage has been used to treat benign prostate, skin problems, liver disease has been considered good for the digestive system, Antidote, Astringent, Cancer, Coloring, Cordial, Cosmetic, Diabetes, Dysentery, Fever, Hair-Oil, Kidney, Parasiticide, Stypic.

Peru the Indigenous Tribes have used the Achiote (Bixa orelana) as an aphrodisiac, seeds as a body paint and as a fabric dye. Although mostly only the seed paste or seed oil is used today, the Rainforest Tribes have used the entire plant as medicines for centuries. A tea made with the young shoots is used by the Piura tribes as an antidysenteric, an aphrodisiac, astringent, and to treat skin problems, fevers and hepatitis. The foliage has been used to treat skin problems, liver disease and hepatitis and also as an aphrodisiac, antidysenteric, and antipyretic and has been considered good for the digestive system.

The Achiote has been traced back to the ancient Peru Indians who employed it as a principal coloring agent in foods, for body paints and as a coloring for arts, crafts and murals. Today in Peru traditional medicine, Achiote used to treat heartburn and stomach distress caused by spicy foods, and as a mild diuretic and mild purgative while traditional medicine recommends it as a vaginal antispetic and cicatrizant, as a wash for skin infections, and for liver and stomach disorders.

References:

Kember Mejia and Elsa Reng, 1995. Plantas medicinales de uso popular en la Amazonia Peruana. AECI and IIAP, Lima, Peru.

Rosita Arvigo and Michael Balick, 1993. Rainforest Remedies, One Hundred Healing Herbs of Belize. Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, WI.

Lawrence, B.M. and Hogg. J.W., Phytochemistry 12: 2295 (1973).

Scita, Retinoic acid and beta-carotene inhibit fibronectin synthesis and release by fibroblasts; antagonism to phorbol ester. Carcinogenesis 15: 1043-1048 (1994).

Zhang, Carotenoids up-regulate connexin43 gene expression independent of their provitanin A or antioxidant properties. Cancer Res 52: 5707-12 (1992).

Di Mascio, Carotenoids, tocopherols and thiols as biological singlet molecular oxygen quenchers. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 18: 1054-6 (1990).

Hirose, Energized state of mitochondria as revealed by the spectral change of bound bixin. Arch. Biochem. Biophys.

Terashima S, et al. Studies on aldose reductase inhibitors from natural products. IV. Constituents and aldose reductase inhibitory effect of Chrysanthemum morifolium, Bixa orellana and Ipomoea batatas. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo), 1991 Dec

Morrison EY, et al. Extraction of an hyperglycaemic principle from the annatto (Bixa orellana), a medicinal plant in the West Indies. Trop Geogr Med, 1991 Jan-Apr

Nish WA, et al. Anaphylaxis to annatto dye: a case report. Ann Allergy, 1991 Feb

Morrison EY, et al. Toxicity of the hyperglycaemic-inducing extract of the annatto (Bixa orellana) in the dog. West Indian Med J, 1987 Jun

Morrison EY, et al. The effect of Bixa orellana (annatto) on blood sugar levels in the anaesthetized dog. West Indian Med J, 1985 Mar
Wurts ML, et al. [Analysis of the seed Bixa orellana, L. (annatto) and the waste generated in the extraction of its pigments] Arch Latinoam Nutr, 1983 Sep

Bressani R, et al. [Chemical composition, amino acid content and nutritive value of the protein of the annatto seed (Bixa orellana, L.)] Arch Latinoam Nutr, 1983 Jun

Ciscar F. Achiotin, an extract of achiote seeds (Bixa orellana L.), as a histologic stain for lipids. Stain Technol, 1965 Sep

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