Rodrigues Deborah Fernandes, Vieira Marina, Júnior Marcel Alexandre Formaggio Moraes, Thomasi Rodrigo Michelini Oliveira, Millán Ruben Dario Sinisterra, Garcia Eliana Faria, Couto Renê Oliveira, Lima William Gustavo, Paiva Magna Cristina, Jensen Carlos Eduardo Matos
Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei (UFSJ), Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, R. Sebastião Gonçalves Coelho 400, Divinópolis, MG 35501-296, Brazil.
Departamento de Química do ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil.
ACS Omega. 2025 Aug 15;10(33):37874-37888. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.5c04986. eCollection 2025 Aug 26.
Bixin is a lipophilic apocarotenoid abundant in the aril of L. seeds. Widely used as a natural colorant in food, textile, and cosmetic industries, its pharmacological potential remains underexplored. This study aimed to extract and purify bixin, characterize its physicochemical properties, develop and validate an HPLC method for quantification, and evaluate its antifungal activity, cytotoxicity, and selectivity . Extraction was performed by Soxhlet using hexane and chloroform, followed by recrystallization in acetone. Characterization (TG/DTA, FTIR, and H NMR) confirmed predominance of the 9'- isomer. The HPLC method (λ=470 nm) was validated per ICH Q2-(R2), showing specificity, linearity (R = 0.9993), low LOD/LOQ (0.638 and 1.934 μg mL), and high precision and accuracy (RSD < 2%; recovery 99.4-100.8%). Antifungal assays against eight strains revealed moderate activity, with MICs from 2 to 256 μg mL. The best results were observed for and (MIC = 2 and 4 μg mL). Bixin also inhibited virulence factors in Cytotoxicity on Vero cells showed a CC of 30.71 μg mL, with selectivity indices of 15.36 and 7.68 for and, respectively. These results support bixin's potential as a natural antifungal agent.
胭脂树橙是一种亲脂性类胡萝卜素氧化产物，大量存在于胭脂树种子的假种皮中。它在食品、纺织和化妆品行业中被广泛用作天然色素，但其药理潜力仍未得到充分探索。本研究旨在提取和纯化胭脂树橙，表征其理化性质，开发并验证一种用于定量的高效液相色谱法，并评估其抗真菌活性、细胞毒性和选择性。采用索氏提取法，用己烷和氯仿进行提取，然后在丙酮中重结晶。表征（热重/差示热分析、傅里叶变换红外光谱和核磁共振氢谱）证实9'-异构体占主导地位。高效液相色谱法（λ=470 nm）根据国际协调会议Q2-(R2)进行了验证，显示出特异性、线性（R = 0.9993）、低检测限/定量限（0.638和1.934 μg/mL）以及高精度和准确性（相对标准偏差<2%；回收率99.4-100.8%）。针对八种菌株的抗真菌试验显示出中等活性，最低抑菌浓度为2至256 μg/mL。对[具体菌株1]和[具体菌株2]观察到最佳结果（最低抑菌浓度=2和4 μg/mL）。胭脂树橙还抑制了[具体毒力因子]的毒力因子。对Vero细胞的细胞毒性显示细胞毒性浓度为30.71 μg/mL，对[具体菌株1]和[具体菌株2]的选择性指数分别为15.36和7.68。这些结果支持了胭脂树橙作为天然抗真菌剂的潜力。
