Betalains are phytochemicals of nutraceutical importance that emerged as potent antioxidants, preventing radical chain propagation and the deleterious health effects of oxidative stress. However, despite the wide application of betalains as color additives in products for human consumption, little is known about the relationship between their structure and antioxidant potential. Here we investigate the mechanism of antioxidant action of three regioisomeric phenolic betalains and show that the meta isomer has higher antiradical capacity than most natural betalains, anthocyanins and flavonoids. Structural and pH effects on redox and antiradical properties were investigated and the results are rationalized in light of quantum chemical calculations. Our results demonstrate that hydrogen atom transfer/proton-coupled electron transfer or sequential proton loss electron transfer mechanisms are plausible to explain the radical chain breaking properties of phenolic betalains in water. Furthermore, mesomeric effects are responsible for the stabilization of the resulting radical phenolic betalains. These findings are useful for the design of biocompatible antioxidants and for the development of novel additives for functional foods and cosmetics with high antioxidant potential.

Blue natural pigments are rare, especially among plants. However, flowering species that evolved to attract Hymenoptera pollinators are colored by blue anthocyanin-metal complexes. Plants lacking anthocyanins are pigmented by betalains but are unable to produce blue hues. By extending the π-system of betalains, we designed a photostable and metal-free blue dye named BeetBlue that did not show toxicity to human hepatic and retinal pigment epithelial cells and does not affect zebrafish embryonal development. This chiral dye can be conveniently synthesized from betalamic acid obtained from hydrolyzed red beetroot juice or by enzymatic oxidation of l-dopa. BeetBlue is blue in the solid form and in solution of acidified polar molecular solvents, including water. Its capacity to dye natural matrices makes BeetBlue the prototype of a new class of low-cost bioinspired chromophores suitable for a myriad of applications requiring a blue hue.

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