Bixin
Bixin is soluble in fats and alcohols but insoluble in water. Upon exposure to alkali,
the methyl ester is hydrolyzed to produce the dicarboxylic acid norbixin, a water-
soluble derivative.
Application
• Annatto has been used for centuries in many parts of the world for the
prevention and treatment of a number of heath disorders such as constipation,
fevers, heartburn, asthma, scabies, ulcers, diarrhea, stomach upset, skin diseases,
measles,diabetes,allergy, leprosy,infectious diseases, burns, measles, gonorrhoea,
diarrhea, asthma, angina, tumors, skin problems, and urinary infections (oral and
topic). The pulp from seeds of this plant has long been used topically by
indigenous people to enhance the beauty of lips which has led to the origin of B.
orellana’s nick name as lipstick tree
Industrial Applications
• Guar gum has been used for centuries as a thickening agent for foods and pharmaceuticals. It
continues to find extensive use for these applications as well as the paper, textile, and oil drilling
industries.
• Due its unique binding properties — the ability to suspend solids, bind water by hydrogen
bonding, control the
viscosity of aqueous solutions and form strong tough films — guar gum is mixed with water and
sand to “frack” shale gas out of sedimentary shale rock formations.
• Owing to unprecedented demand from the United States, China, Germany, Russia and Australia
(top five importers), everyone in western Rajasthan with a few bighas to spare decided to jump
on the guar bandwagon, forgoing even cash crops like cotton to grow more guar.
• India’s production contributes to 80% of the world’s total production figuring up to 6 lakh tons.
Synthetic derivatives of guar gum such as guar acetate, guar phthalate, guar acetate phthalate,
oxidized guar gum and sodium carboxymethyl guar have also been investigated for their
pharmaceutical applications.
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Pharmaceutically important
properties of Guar Gum
• It consists chiefly of high molecular weight hydrocolloidal polysaccharide, composed
of galactan and mannan units combined through glycosidic linkages and shows
degradation in the large intestine due the presence of microbial enzymes.
• Guar gum is used as a binder, disintegrant in tablet formulations. It also acts as a
stabilizer, emulsifier, thickening, and suspending agent in liquid formulations. It has
been widely used for colonic drug delivery applications. The swelling ability of guar
gum is used in the retardation of drug release from the dosage forms. Its utility as a
carrier for colon specific drug delivery is based on its degradation by colonic bacteria.
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Guar gum used to prepare temperature sensitive magnetic nanoparticles:
“Thermo responsive magnetic nanoparticle – Aminated guar gum hydrogel system for
sustained release of doxorubicin hydrochloride”
Schematic showing (a) the synthesis of CSNP from IONP, (b) the synthesis of AGG from GG and (c) the preparation of AGG-CSNP-DOX injectable hydrogel system.
(Figure adapted from reference given below.)
In this study, a stable injectable magnetic nanoparticle incorporated hydro-gel system was
prepared as an alternative for the long-term drug release and diagnosis to the cancer
patients. The injectable hydrogel system consisted of AGG as the biodegradable polymer and
gelling agent, DOX as the anticancer drug and CSNP as the imaging agent without using any
toxic crosslinkers. Studies reveal that a strong gel was formed by the reaction between NH3+
groups and water molecules at 37◦C and stable over a wide temperature and pH range. The in
vitro drug releasing tendency of DOX is seen up to 21 st day of incubation demonstrating the
sustained delivery over long period. Hence, the prepared thermo-responsive injectable
hydrogel system shows promising applications such as sustained drug release for the solid
tumor treatment.
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Amylose Structure
Amylopectin Structure
Amaranth starch Arrowroot starch Buckwheat starch
(Bar: 1 µm) (Bar: 20 µm) (Bar: 5 µm)
Cassava starch Corn starch Oat starch
(Bar: 10 µm) (Bar: 10 µm) (Bar: 5 µm)
Potato starch Rice starch Kidney bean starch
(Bar: 50 µm) (Bar: 2 µm) (Bar: 20 µm)
Cineole Terpeneol Sabinene
