CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

STRUCTURED ABSTRACTBackground: Anthocyanins are flavonoid compounds imparting pink, red, blue, and purple colors to fruits, flowers, leaves, and some underground plant organs. These pigments are related to the protection of plant tissues exposed to biotic and/or abiotic stress. The potential use of anthocyanins as colorants in food has been extensively analyzed since they are the main hydrosoluble plant pigments. However, their instability and the influence of concentration, pH, temperature, and the presence of other compounds (phenolic acids, metals) on color properties can limit anthocyanin use as food ingredients and additives. Methods: An organized search of bibliographic references from peer-reviewed research literature on the topic was performed. A compilation of the latest publications referring to bioactivity and functionality of anthocyanins from in vitro and in vivo assays, as well as from clinical trials and/or observational studies was made. Issues related to food uses and technological aspects of these compounds was also revised. References (134 in total) include more than 60 citations from the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. Results: The compiled information reports anthocyanin health benefits such as anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties, diminution of cardiovascular disease incidence, obesity control, diabetes mitigation effects, and potential cancer chemopreventive activities. Reactive oxygen species scavenging as well as metal chelating and direct binding to proteins have been associated with anthocyanin health effects. Furthermore, recent studies have indicated that these compounds can modulate decisive signaling pathways and gene regulation. To improve anthocyanin stability, encapsulation has been proposed as an alternative to reduce food-processing damage and to deliver these compounds to their target site in the human body. Likewise, chemical lipophilization of anthocyanins has been assayed to obtain modified compounds with higher lipophilicity, more suitable for lipid-rich matrices.Conclusion: Anthocyanin compounds are gaining increasing attention due to their numerous associated health benefits. Their relevance is demonstrated by the production of more than 6,500 publications since 2015, as shown by the results obtained for the search of the term ?anthocyanins? in the main platforms of peer-reviewed scholarly literature. Although anthocyanins show a broad range of biological activities, more research on safety and toxicological implications still needs to be conducted.

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