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Anthocyanidins form the base of a ubiquitous class of phenolic plant pigments, of which Flavylium is the simplest form.
In the backbone structure above, the various -R groups represent possible substituant groups. When all of the -R groups are protons, the resultant molecule is Flavylium.
Other Anthocyanidins have various combinations of the -R groups replaced by hydroxyl or methoxyl groups.
In plants foods, anthocyanidins are mostly present as glycosidic forms (anthocyanins), bound to glucose, galactose, arabinose, rutinose, sambubiose, sophorose, sometimes with the addition of an acetyl, caffeoyl, dioxalyl, malonyl,
coumaroyl, or succinyl moiety [1].
Anthocyanins are the most important group of pigments, after chlorophyll, that are visible to the human eye. They are almost universal in higher plants and are responsible for many of
the attractive colors, from scarlet to blue, of flowers, fruits, leaves, and storage organs [2].
Most of the red, purple, and
blue-colored flowers contain anthocyanins. Red
flowers are red hibiscus, red rose, red pineapple sage,
red clover, and pink blossom. These red flowers are
edible. Blue (cornflower, blue chicory, and blue rosem-
ary) and purple (purple mint, purple passion flower,
purple sage, common violet, and lavender) flowers are
the common edible flowers. Some of these flowers have
been traditionally used as folk medicine, as colorants,
and as food. In addition to traditional usage, red, purple,
and blue-colored fruits are commonly consumed for
their beneficial effects. The colored pigments of anthocyanin from berries, blackcurrants, and other types of
red to blue-colored fruits are strong antioxidants.
Moreover, anthocyanin-rich black carrot, red cabbage,
and purple potato are potential functional foods that
have been consumed for prevention of diseases [4].
Anthocyanins found in plants have a wide range of
usage. Blue, red, and purple colored pigments extracted
from flowers, fruits, and vegetables are traditionally
used as dye and food colorant. Besides being used as
natural colorants, some of the anthocyanin-rich flowers
and fruits have been traditionally used as medicine to
treat various diseases. Anthocyanins have been widely studied for their medicinal
values. Anthocyanins possess antidiabetic, anticancer,
anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity
effects, as well as prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, anthocyanins extracted from
edible plants are potential pharmaceutical ingredients [4].
Historical use of these materials ranges from the Roman Empire to paintings of the Maya civilization.
Their use has been described in several treatises on
illumination painting. Anthocyanins were used to produce clothlets/watercolours, as
described by Cennino Cennini in the 15th century, and to dye textiles. With
anthocyanins the color domain ranges from red to blue, but with natural flavylium dyes it
is limited to the yellow-red.[3]
[1] Assessment of the anthocyanidin content of
common fruits and development of a test diet
rich in a range of anthocyanins, Giulia Corona, et.al., Journal of Berry Research 1 (2011) 209–216
[2] Natural Pigments: Carotenoids, Anthocyanins, and
Betalains — Characteristics, Biosynthesis,
Processing, and Stability, F. Delgado-Vargas, et.al, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 40(3):173–289 (2000)
[3] History of Natural Dyes in the
Ancient Mediterranean World, Maria J. Melo, Handbook of Natural Colorants Edited by Thomas Bechtold and Rita Mussak
2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
[4] Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical
ingredients, and the potential health benefits [sic], Hock Eng Khoo, et.al., FOOD & NUTRITION RESEARCH, 2017
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