Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is a valuable medicinal plant popularly known as “sinduri” or “lipstick tree”. The seed coat of Annatto commercially produce dye, a red orange pigment known as bixin which is used mostly in dairy industry, medicine industry, and textile industry and for animal feed. This species is used in production of phytochemicals like flavonoid, sterols, tannins, bisulphate and essential oil. It has been reported that sinduri is used to treat skin problem, liver disease, hepatitis, prostrate disorder, as diuretic and as antioxidant. Bixa .orellana L. is commonly propagated through seeds for large scale cultivation. But the seed coat is characterized by water impermeable testa. So it is very difficult to germinate and it also contains below 40% moisture which are the main cause of slow germination. Germination may be increased by using several pretreatments with water, hormones, growth regulators cowdung, acids etc.
