Antioxidant Capacity of Anthocyanin Pigments

Abstract

Anthocyanins are a family of natural pigments classified into the group of flavonoids, considered to be responsible for the color and taste of many fruits and vegetables, i.e. berries. Anthocyanins are common components of the human diet. Besides their interest as colorant because of their coloring properties, the study of anthocyanin compounds stems from their wide applicability in the prevention and even in the treatment of various human diseases. However, various aspects of the pharmacological roles of anthocyanins remain in the dark, having still several obstacles to the development of robust diets or prescribing lines on consumption of anthocyanins. The chemical structure of anthocyanins determines in large measure its capacity and efficacy as an antioxidant agent. In this study, the following aspects are reviewed: the antioxidant effect of anthocyanin pigments; the oxidative stress, the bioavailability after intake and biological aspects of anthocyanins, the method for measuring the antioxidant activity of anthocyanins, the relationship between structure and activity; and the influence of the anthocyanins in the antioxidant activity of wines. Finally an overview of some potential uses in food industry is attempted mainly focusing in the anthocyanin encapsulation topic. Attention has been paid to the more recent publications in the field.

Antioxidant and Potentially Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Anthocyanin Fractions from Pomace Obtained from Enzymatically Treated Raspberries

“…The anthocyanin and anthocyanidin health properties are associated with their peculiar chemical structure, as they are very reactive towards ROS due to their electron deficiency. The antioxidative properties of anthocyanidins have been recently explored; most of the widely distributed anthocyanidins and anthocyanins show higher scavenging activity than that of the well-known strong antioxidants trolox and catechol [36].…”

An Overview of Effects Induced by Pasteurization and High-Power Ultrasound Treatment on the Quality of Red Grape Juice

“…However, grape juice is not consumed worldwide in large amounts because of its higher sugar content or higher acidity, but it can be mixed with apple or other juices [1][2][3]. The last decades were characterized by numerous studies related to the chemical constituents of grapes, especially phenolic compounds that are secondary plant metabolites with free radical scavenging activity [4,5]. The main phenols in grape belong either to the flavonoid family or the non-flavonoid one.…”

Vegetable Additives in Food Packaging Polymeric Materials

“…Anthocyanins are natural-based, non-toxic, water soluble pigments, extracted from different plants that provide the purple, blue, and red color of many plants [208]. Anthocyanins possess excellent antioxidant potential [210][211][212], which can be released from packaging films [213] for extending shelf life of food, anti-inflammatory [214], and anticarcinogenic [215] activities. Moreover, the colors of anthocyanins are sensitive to pH changes due to their structural transformations [216,217].…”