Annatto (Bixa orellana).Plant Part Used: Seed coats, leaves.Dominican Medicinal Uses: The powdered seed coats are traditionally combined with other plants to make a tea or vegetable juice drink for treating anemia, cysts, dysmenorrhea, tumors, uterine fibroids and to support post-partum recovery. The seeds coats and/or leaves are also used externally for topical burns, injury and musculoskeletal trauma.Safety: The seeds and seed coats are generally regarded as safe and commonly used as a culinary flavoring and coloring agent. Animal studies have shown this plant to be relatively nontoxic, although allergic reactions reported.Contraindications: Hypersensitivity; history of allergic reaction.Laboratory & Preclinical Data: The seed extract has shown the following activities in animal studies: anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, hyperglycemic. In vitro the plant extract has demonstrated antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiplatelet effects, and the seed extract has shown anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activity.* See entry for Bija in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.
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