In food Food sourceĬross-section of red cabbage Aronia berries ( Aronia melanocarpa), a rich source of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have also been found in various tulip flowers, such as Tulipa gesneriana, Tulipa fosteriana and Tulipa eichleri. In flowers Īnthocyanins occur in the flowers of many plants, such as the blue poppies of some Meconopsis species and cultivars. Sometimes bred purposely for high anthocyanin content, ornamental plants such as sweet peppers may have unusual culinary and aesthetic appeal. Anthocyanins and betalains have never been found in the same plant. Not all land plants contain anthocyanin in the Caryophyllales (including cactus, beets, and amaranth), they are replaced by betalains.

Roughly 2% of all hydrocarbons fixed in photosynthesis are converted into flavonoids and their derivatives, such as the anthocyanins. Most frequently occurring in nature are the glycosides of cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and petunidin. In these parts, they are found predominantly in outer cell layers such as the epidermis and peripheral mesophyll cells. Occurrence Īnthocyanins are found in the cell vacuole, mostly in flowers and fruits, but also in leaves, stems, and roots. It may protect the leaves from attacks by herbivores that may be attracted by green color. The absorbance pattern responsible for the red color of anthocyanins may be complementary to that of green chlorophyll in photosynthetically active tissues such as young Quercus coccifera leaves. Light absorbance Superposition of spectra of chlorophyll a and b with oenin (malvidin 3O glucoside), a typical anthocyanidin, showing that, while chlorophylls absorb in the blue and yellow/red parts of the visible spectrum, oenin absorbs mainly in the green part of the spectrum, where chlorophylls don't absorb at all. Tomato plants protect against cold stress with anthocyanins countering reactive oxygen species, leading to a lower rate of cell death in leaves. In flowers, the coloration that is provided by anthocyanin accumulation may attract a wide variety of animal pollinators, while in fruits, the same coloration may aid in seed dispersal by attracting herbivorous animals to the potentially-edible fruits bearing these red, blue, or purple colors.Īnthocyanins may have a protective role in plants against extreme temperatures. Anthocyanin-rich plants Anthocyanins give these pansies their dark purple pigmentation Coloration There is no conclusive evidence that anthocyanins have any effect on human biology or diseases. They are odorless and moderately astringent.Īlthough approved as food and beverage colorant in the European Union, anthocyanins are not approved for use as a food additive because they have not been verified as safe when used as food or supplement ingredients. Anthocyanins are derived from anthocyanidins by adding sugars. They can occur in all tissues of higher plants, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits. Īnthocyanins belong to a parent class of molecules called flavonoids synthesized via the phenylpropanoid pathway. Some of the colors of autumn leaves are derived from anthocyanins. Food plants rich in anthocyanins include the blueberry, raspberry, black rice, and black soybean, among many others that are red, blue, purple, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart named a chemical compound that gives flowers a blue color, Anthokyan, in his treatise ' Die Farben der Blüthen'. Purple cauliflower contains anthocyanins.Īnthocyanins (from Ancient Greek ἄνθος ( ánthos) 'flower', and κυάνεος/ κυανοῦς ( kuáneos/kuanoûs) 'dark blue'), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. Not to be confused with anthocyanidins, the sugar-free counterparts of anthocyanins.

Colors of autumn 94