Why beet-red plant pigments fade, and how to stop it
Cao Y, Song H, Chen F
Food Science
The deep magenta color in your beet harvest or prickly pear fruit comes from the same pigment family scientists are now learning to stabilize for use as a natural food dye and antioxidant.
Beets, amaranth, and dragon fruit get their vivid red-violet color from pigments called betacyanins, which also act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. The catch is that these pigments break down easily from heat, light, and pH changes, so researchers reviewed ways to protect them, like wrapping them in protective coatings or pairing them with other compounds, so food makers can use them as natural colorants instead of synthetic dyes.
Key Findings
Betacyanin stability depends on temperature, pH, light exposure, water activity, and metal ion presence.
Preservation strategies including encapsulation, co-pigmentation, complexation, and chemical modification can improve pigment stability.
Nanotechnology, nutrient synergies, and gut microbiota modulation are highlighted as approaches to boost bioavailability of betacyanins in the body.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists reviewed what makes betacyanins, the red-violet pigments in beets and similar plants, break down or stay stable, and how new techniques like encapsulation and nanotechnology could help food companies use more of these natural colorants and antioxidants in products.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Bioactivity, stability, and bioavailability of betacyanins: progressing their utilization in the food industry.
Betacyanins, a subgroup of the betalain family, are natural pigments responsible for the red to violet colors found in various plants. This review critically examines current research on betacyanin...
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