Abstract
Anthocyanins are polyphenol compounds that render various hues of pink, red, purple, and blue in flowers, vegetables, and fruits. Anthocyanins also play significant roles in plant propagation, ecophysiology, and plant defense mechanisms. Structurally, anthocyanins are anthocyanidins modified by sugars and acyl acids. Anthocyanin colors are susceptible to pH, light, temperatures, and metal ions. The stability of anthocyanins is controlled by various factors, including inter and intramolecular complexations. Chromatographic and spectrometric methods have been extensively used for the extraction, isolation, and identification of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins play a major role in the pharmaceutical; nutraceutical; and food coloring, flavoring, and preserving industries. Research in these areas has not satisfied the urge for natural and sustainable colors and supplemental products. The lability of anthocyanins under various formulated conditions is the primary reason for this delay. New gene editing technologies to modify anthocyanin structures in vivo and the structural modification of anthocyanin via semi-synthetic methods offer new opportunities in this area. This review focusses on the biogenetics of anthocyanins; their colors, structural modifications, and stability; their various applications in human health and welfare; and advances in the field.
Highlights
Anthocyanins are water soluble pigments that occur in most vascular plants
The acid hydrolysis of anthocyanin extracts significantly simplifies the HPLC chromatograms for common anthocyanidins
Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships (3D-QSAR) of anthocyanins extracted from eggplant and radish on the Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity were studied by Jing et al [67]
Summary
Anthocyanins are water soluble pigments that occur in most vascular plants. Anthocyanin is a subgroup of large secondary plant metabolites called flavonoids [1]. Anthocyanins are modified by hydroxylation, methylation, glycosylation, and acylation. This adds versatility to the colors and stability of anthocyanins. As the number of hydroxyl groups in the B-ring increases, the color of the anthocyanin becomes bluer. Methylation, on the other hand, leads to a red shift in the color of anthocyanins. Methylation of the B-ring leads to a low susceptibility to oxidation and stabilization of the anthocyanins. Glycosylation of anthocyanins leads to a hypsochromic shift in the absorption maxima of the spectra and increases its stability for storage in the vacuoles [3,4]. The glycosyl moieties of anthocyanins may be further modified by aromatic (hydroxycinnamic or hydroxybenzoic acid) and/or aliphatic (malonic, acetic, or succinic acid) acyl moieties.
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