Hydrophilic Carotenoids: Surface Properties and Aggregation Behavior of the Potassium Salt of the Highly Unsaturated Diacid Norbixin

The oft-claimed ‘good’ water solubility of the food color norbixin (3) could not be confirmed. In contrast, the potassium salt 5 of norbixin formed suitable dispersions. The surface and aggregation properties of salt 5 were investigated and compared with other naturally occurring and synthetic hydrophilic carotenoids (Table).