Anthocyanin Profile of Elderberry Juice: A Natural-Based Bioactive Colouring Ingredient with Potential Food Application

Abstract

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) is a widely disseminated plant that produces bright black berries containing high quantities of anthocyanins, acknowledged for their bioactivity and dye capacity. Besides other applications, anthocyanins might be employed as natural colouring agents to reduce/eliminate the use of artificial dyes, while providing positive effects on consumers’ health. Herein, the anthocyanins profile of elderberry juice was characterised by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn. In addition, its antioxidant capacity and cytotoxicity were also evaluated. As a proof-of-concept of its colouring capacity, elderberry juice was added (different percentages) to a highly appreciated and consumed pastry product (croissant) and compared with a commercial dye (black carrot). In general, the nutritional properties of control and coloured croissants were similar, despite some individual differences in sugars and fatty acids. In turn, the appearance obtained with elderberry juice incorporation might be considered innovative, besides partially maintaining the anthocyanins content of fresh juice and showing considerable antioxidant activity.

Probiotic Yoghurts with Sea Buckthorn, Elderberry, and Sloe Fruit Purees

“…In contrast, elderberry puree contained anthocyanins and rutin as the major polyphenols. The same was stated by Da Silva et al [ 8 ], who identified cyanidin-3- O -sambubioside, cyanidin-3- O -glucoside, and cyanidin-3- O -sambubioside-5- O -glucoside as the most abundant anthocyanins in elderberry juice, and the study of Domínguez et al [ 10 ], who reported that rutin and, to a lesser extent, quercetin were the main representatives of the flavonoids group in the elderberries. Cosmulescu et al [ 29 ] identified five flavonoids and 10 phenolic acids in the fruit extract of wild-grown blackthorn.…”

“…Elderberry, however, is added to yoghurt, but only in small concentrations, in order to enhance the dark reddish-violet color of, e.g., blueberry or forest fruit yoghurt, not as flavoring or a bioactive ingredient itself. Elderberry, the fruit of black elder ( Sambucus nigra L.) shrub, and its preparations (powders, extracts, concentrates) are used as a potent source of natural colorants because they contain considerable amounts of anthocyanins, mainly cyanidin glycosides [ 8 , 9 ]. Moreover, anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds, such as flavonols and phenolic acids from elderberries, are known for their excellent free-radical-scavenging ability [ 10 ].…”

Red Carrot Cells Cultured in vitro Are Effective, Stable, and Safe Ingredients for Skin Care, Nutraceutical, and Food Applications

“…The stability of acylated anthocyanins depends on the types, numbers and positions of acyl groups, and aromatic acyl groups confer much greater stability than aliphatic ones by forming intramolecular co-pigment complexes (Zhao et al, 2017). In our experiments, the R4G anthocyanins were much more stable over time than enocyanins (from redskinned grapes) and elderberry anthocyanins, reflecting the higher content of acylated anthocyanins in the R4G extract but the prevalence of non-acylated anthocyanins in elderberries and grapes (Anesi et al, 2015;Da Silva et al, 2019). Surprisingly, the anthocyanins in the R4G extract were also more stable than natural red carrot anthocyanins.…”

Application of Crude Pomace Powder of Chokeberry, Bilberry, and Elderberry as a Coloring Foodstuff

“…Similar results were determined for croissants fortified with 4% elderberry juice. The product provided the same benefits compared to those with the addition of black carrot commercial dye [ 41 ].…”