NATURAL DYES OF THE PHILIPPINES 401 



Family BIXACEAE 



Genus BIXA 

 BIXA OR ELL AN A L. ACHUETE OR Annatto Tree. 



Local names: Achate (Pangasinan) ; achuete (Manila, Camarines, Ne- 

 gros, Rizal) ; apatut (Nueva Vizcaya) ; asute (Bataan) ; atsuete (Ilocos 

 Sur) ; chanang (Basilan) ; sotis (Negros). 



The seeds of this plant are used locally for coloring food 

 materials. The coloring matter of the fruit is employed com- 

 mercially as coloring forbutter and in the preparation of various 

 polishes for russet leather. 



This species grows abundantly in the Philippines, but is not 

 exported. Brooks * says that the annatto supply used in the 

 United States is grown in the West Indies. 



According to Gardner :t 



Annatto is only partially soluble in water, but more completely in 

 alcohol. It dissolves readily but sometimes imperfectly in solutions of 

 alkali hydroxides and carbonates, of borax, and of soap, forming liquids 

 of orange or red colour which furnish orange-red precipitates with acids. 

 It gives orange lakes with alumina and ferrous sulphate, a yellowish-brown 

 precipitate with salts of copper, and a lemon-yellow with tin salts. Con- 

 centrated sulphuric acid dissolves annatto \vith a deep blue colour, which 

 gradually changes to green and violet. On adding water a deep green 

 precipitate is formed. 



Concerning annatto, Perkin and Everest * say : 



To prepare the dyestuff, the seeds and pulp are removed from the mature 

 fruit, macerated with water, and the mixture is left to ferment. The 

 product is strained through a sieve, and the colouring matter which settles 

 out is collected, partially evaporated by heat, then placed in boxes, and 

 finally dried in the sun. 



Annatto comes into the market in the form of cakes, and among the 

 different varieties Cayenne annatto is the most esteemed, and is con- 

 sidered to be the richest in colouring matter. It should contain from 10 

 to 12 per cent of the pure dye, and not more than 5 per cent of ash, 

 whereas the amount of colouring matter in the Bengal product is frequently 

 lower than 6 per cent. 



In 1848 Dumontal devised a new method for the preparation of annatto, 

 in which fermentation is avoided, and the pulp is simply washed out from 

 the capsules and off the seeds. This product known as hixin is said to 

 be five to six times more valuable than ordinary annatto (Crookes, "Dye- 

 ing and Calico Printing"). 



* Brooks, B. T., The natural dyes and coloring matters of the Philip- 

 pines. Philippine Journal of Science, Volume 5 (1910), page 443. 



t Allen's commercial organic analysis. Fourth edition, Volume 5 (1912), 

 page 421. 



* Perkin, A. G., and Everest, A. E., The natural organic colouring mat- 

 ters (1918), pages 609, 613. 



