The Cool Science Stuff Thread

Family: Bixaceae
Genus: Bixa
Species: orellana
Synonyms: Bixa acuminata, B. americana, B. odorata, B. platycarpa, B. purpurea, B. tinctoria, B. upatensis, B. urucurana, Orellana americana, O. orellana
Common names:achiote, achiotec, achiotl, achote, annatto, urucu, beninoki, bija, eroya, jafara, kasujmba-kelling, kham thai, onoto, orleanstrauch, orucu-axiote, rocou, roucou, ruku, roucouyer, unane, uruku, urucum, urucu-üva
Parts Used: Seeds, Leaves, Bark, Roots, Shoots


From The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs:


ANNATTO
HERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS
Main Actions Other Actions Standard Dosage
reduces acid
reduces inflammation
Seed and Leaves
kills bacteria
stops coughing
Leaf Decoction: 1/2 cup 2-3
fights free radicals
dries secretions/oils
times daily
kills parasites
cleanses blood
Seed powder: 5-10 mg twice daily
kills germs
soothes membranes

increases urination
reduces phlegm

stimulates digestion
reduces fever

lowers blood pressure
raises blood sugar

mildly laxative
heals wounds

protects liver


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Annatto is a profusely fruiting shrub or small tree that grows 5-10 m in height. Approximately 50 seeds grow inside prickly reddish-orange heart-shaped pods at the ends of the branches. The trees are literally covered by these brightly colored pods, and one small annatto tree can produce up to 270 kg of seeds. The seeds are covered with a reddish aril, which is the source of an orange-yellow dye. Annatto is known as achiote in Peru and as urucum in Brazil. It grows throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean and can be found in some parts of Mexico as well.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

Traditionally, the crushed seeds are soaked in water that is allowed to evaporate. A brightly colored paste is produced which is added to soups, cheeses, and other foods to give them a bright yellow or orange color. Annatto seed paste produced in South America is exported to North America and Europe, where it is used as a food coloring for margarine, cheese, microwave popcorn, and other yellow or orange foodstuffs. Many times, this natural food coloring replaces the very expensive saffron in recipes and dishes around the world. Annatto paste is also used as a natural dye for cloth and wool and is sometimes employed in the paint, varnish, lacquer, cosmetic, and soap industries.

Throughout the rainforest, indigenous tribes have used annatto seeds as body paint and as a fabric dye. It has been traced back to the ancient Mayan Indians, who employed it as a principal coloring agent in foods, for body paints, and as a coloring for arts, crafts, and murals. Although mostly only the seed paste or seed oil is used commercially today, the rainforest tribes have used the entire plant as medicine for centuries. A tea made with the young shoots is used by the Piura tribe as an aphrodisiac and astringent, and to treat skin problems, fevers, dysentery, and hepatitis. The leaves are used to treat skin problems, liver disease, and hepatitis. The plant has also been considered good for the digestive system. The Cojedes tribe uses an infusion of the flowers to stimulate the bowels and aid in elimination as well as to avoid phlegm in newborn babies. Traditional healers in Colombia have also used annatto as an antivenin for snakebites. The seeds are believed to be an expectorant, while the roots are thought to be a digestive aid and cough suppressant.

Today in Brazilian herbal medicine, a leaf decoction of annatto is used to treat heartburn and stomach distress caused by spicy foods, and as a mild diuretic and mild laxative. It is also used for fevers and malaria, and, topically, to treat burns. Annatto is a common remedy in Peruvian herbal medicine today, and the dried leaves are called achiotec. Eight to ten dried leaves are boiled for 10 minutes in 1 liter of water for this popular Peruvian remedy. One cup is drunk warm or cold 3 times daily after meals to treat prostate disorders and internal inflammation, arterial hypertension, high cholesterol, cystitis, obesity, renal insufficiency, and to eliminate uric acid. This decoction is also recommended as a vaginal antiseptic and wound healer, as a wash for skin infections, and for liver and stomach disorders. Curanderos (herbal healers) in the Peruvian Amazon squeeze the juice from the fresh leaves and place it in the eye for inflammation and eye infections, and they use the juice of 12 fruits taken twice daily for 5 days to "cure" epilepsy.

PLANT CHEMICALS

Analysis of annatto seeds indicates that they contain 40% to 45% cellulose, 3.5% to 5.5% sucrose, 0.3% to 0.9% essential oil, 3% fixed oil, 4.5% to 5.5% pigments, and 13% to 16% protein, as well as alpha- and beta-carotenoids and other constituents. Annatto oil is extracted from the seeds and is the main source of pigments named bixin and norbixin, which are classified as carotenoids. Bixin, extracted and used as a food colorant, has been shown to protect against ultraviolet rays and to have antioxidant and liver protective properties in clinical research.

In addition to bixin and norbixin, annatto contains bixaghanene, bixein, bixol, crocetin, ellagic acid, ishwarane, isobixin, phenylalanine, salicylic acid, threonine, tomentosic acid, and tryptophan.

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

Much has been done in the laboratory validating annatto's traditional uses and finding new ones. A water extract of the root has demonstrated hypotensive activity in rats, as Peruvian herbal systems have practiced. The same extract demonstrated smooth muscle-relaxant activity in guinea pigs and lowered gastric secretions in rats, which help to explain its use as a digestive aid and for stomach disorders. Annatto seed extracts have been documented to raise blood glucose levels in some species of animals and to lower it in others. Annatto leaves were reported in yet another study to possess aldose reductase inhibition actions, a process implicated in the advancement of diabetic neuropathy. A 2000 study confirmed the effectiveness of a leaf-and-bark extract at neutralizing hemorrhages in mice injected with snake venom, a practice used in Colombia for many years. Annatto demonstrated antigonorrheal activity in a 1995 study, and in other research, flower and leaf extracts demonstrated in vitro antibacterial activity against several bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus. This supports its use in traditional medicine systems for gonorrhea and other types of infections.

CURRENT PRACTICAL USES

Although not widely available in the United States, standard decoctions of annatto leaves are taken by the half-cupful two or three times daily for prostate and urinary difficulties as well as for high cholesterol and hypertension. Ground annatto seed powder is also used in small dosages of 10-20 mg daily for high cholesterol and hypertension. Higher dosages can cause a marked increase in urination. It has been noted that some individuals are highly sensitive to annatto seed and this diuretic effect can be caused at much lower doses, even by just eating a bag of popcorn in which annatto was used as a coloring or flavoring ingredient.

Annatto's history of use as a food coloring is well established worldwide, and current trends show that it is being used increasingly in body care products. Annatto oil is an emollient, and its high carotenoid content provides beneficial antioxidant properties. In body care products, annatto oil provides antioxidant benefits while adding a rich, sunny color to creams, lotions, and shampoos.

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rosco rathbone said:

Briefing on Navy Shipboard Lasers

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Balladeer08 said:

Current missiles: $800,000 to $1.4 million per shot.

Laser: $1 per shot.


If they are as effective, wow.

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SkAoUt said:

I didn't make any sense earlier today so I'll just walk you through the flaw in your post.

The laser didn't cost 1$ to produce I doubt it cost a dollar to power either but I get your point. If you're just talking about powering the laser then just talk about powering the missile. Whatever fuel the missile takes to launch and how much is that worth?

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sweepthefloor said:

Your future nurse.

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sweepthefloor said:

Your future nurse.

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Balladeer08 said:

The missiles also have other capital costs involved for their launchers, targeting systems, et al.

Is that a flaw also?

I said "cost per shot" and I meant "cost per shot".

There are other advantages and drawbacks to the lasers as well: a virtually unlimited magazine capacity vs reduced effectiveness in rain and fog.

Most likely, a combination of the two will be adapted, because you need all-weather capability AND the ability to defeat swarm attacks.

But I found the cost per shot to be much more advantageous that I had imagined.

Really long document, very interesting reading.

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Colonel Hogan said:

That's going to kill an entire genre of porn.

Or perhaps start a new one.

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SkAoUt said:

Why you son of a bitch. .

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SkAoUt said:

A duel at half a pace with silly string at dawn!

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sweepthefloor said:

Your future nurse.

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trysail said:

Settling an argument:

Code:

Total volume of water on Earth ( oceans, atmospheric, rivers, ground, etc. )	 
                                 332,500,000 Cubic miles


			
	Formula for the volume of a sphere	4/3 * π * r³	
	Formula for the area of a sphere	4 * π * r²	
			
	Mean radius of Earth ( range: 3,947 - 3,968 miles )	3,959 	Miles
			
			
	Thus,		
	Volume of the Earth:           	     259,923,022,016 	Cubic miles
	Volume of the Earth's top two miles:     393,723,269 	Cubic miles
	Area of the Earth:	                 196,961,118    Square miles
			
			
			
	Thus,		
	Volume of water as a percentage of Earth's volume:	       0.128%
	Volume of water as a percentage of the Earth's top two miles: 84.5%

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trysail said:

Settling an argument:

Code:

Total volume of water on Earth ( oceans, atmospheric, rivers, ground, etc. )	 
                                 332,500,000 Cubic miles


			
	Formula for the volume of a sphere	4/3 * π * r³	
	Formula for the area of a sphere	4 * π * r²	
			
	Mean radius of Earth ( range: 3,947 - 3,968 miles )	3,959 	Miles
			
			
	Thus,		
	Volume of the Earth:           	     259,923,022,016 	Cubic miles
	Volume of the Earth's top two miles:     393,723,269 	Cubic miles
	Area of the Earth:	                 196,961,118    Square miles
			
			
			
	Thus,		
	Volume of water as a percentage of Earth's volume:	       0.128%
	Volume of water as a percentage of the Earth's top two miles: 84.5%

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Peregrinator said:

Uh..."atmospheric" water shouldn't appear on the surface of the rock.

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trysail said:

Your point is taken. The calculation was done for comparative purposes— i.e., to compare the amount of water to the amount of land. In any event, atmospheric water is negligible.

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HB1965 said:

2500 year old brain

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A computer-generated scan of a 2,500-year-old human skull shows brain matter in dark gray. The lighter gray colors in the skull represent soil.

First dug up in 2008 by archaeologists in York, England (see map), the well-preserved brain prompted experts to investigate how the tissue had stayed in such good shape.

A new study released in March suggests that the skull had been quickly buried in a pit full of thick, wet clay—among several factors that may have helped prevent the brain from decomposing.

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