Annatto is a bright reddish-orange powder derived from the seeds of the achiote fruit and is typically used as a natural food coloring. Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy have discovered that a compound found in annatto called bixin, prevents the formation of cancer cells and skin damage from UV radiation in mice.
Georg Wondrak, PhD, associate professor, and Donna Zhang, PhD, professor, both members of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, recently published a study inFree Radical Biology and Medicine titled, “System Administration of the Apocarotenoid Bixin Protects Skin against Solar UV-Induced Damage through Activation of Nrf2.”
In the recent study, mice injected with bixin and uninjected mice were exposed to UV radiation. The mice with the bixin injection experienced much less severe skin sun damage.
Dr. Wondrak says this discovery is unique because bixin is a nutritional factor, not a sunscreen applied to the skin. It prevents UV skin damage from the inside out by inducing cells to make protective antioxidants and repair factors. The compound does not kill skin cancer cells, but prevents their forming in the first place. Drs. Wondrak and Zhang find this research especially compelling because it involves a commonly consumed food substance.
The next steps for this line of research include finding out whether bixin prevents UV skin damage in humans as it does in mice. Because annatto is approved by the Food and Drug Administration asa safe food additive, its use in future clinical trials is expected to require fewer rounds of testing. With continued research into bixin’s effects, scientists soon may know if foods with annatto can help prevent sun damage, photo-aging and cancer in humans.