Carvalho P R
Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Campinas, SP, Brasill.
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 1999 Sep;49(3 Suppl 1):71S-73S.
Colorants derived from the seeds of annatto (Bixa orellana, L.) are extensively used in the food industry. Their pecular characteristics, as that which permits obtaining water-soluble and lipid-soluble colorants through small alterations of the production process, was one of the factors responsible for the success of this pigment. It can be observed that only recently, a little over five years, efforts have been dedicated to the study of the physico-chemical characteristics of the different carotenoid structures that compose the so-called annatto colorant. The very industry that produces the colorant has only recently perceived the possibility of obtaining colorants of different hues from annatto seeds and has dedicated studies to this respect. On the other hand, complementary toxicological studies of these pigments are being demanded, putting their utilization in question, and only with the conclusion of these work can their future be evaluated.
源自胭脂树（红木，L.）种子的色素在食品工业中被广泛使用。它们独特的特性，比如能够通过生产工艺的微小改变获得水溶性和脂溶性色素，是这种色素成功的因素之一。可以观察到，直到最近，也就是仅仅五年多一点的时间，人们才致力于研究构成所谓胭脂树色素的不同类胡萝卜素结构的物理化学特性。生产这种色素的行业直到最近才意识到从胭脂树种子中获得不同色调色素的可能性，并为此进行了专门研究。另一方面，对这些色素的补充毒理学研究正在被要求进行，这使得它们的使用受到质疑，只有在这些工作完成后才能评估它们的未来。
