Anthocyanidins: Health-Promoting Natural Compounds

Anthocyanidins, free of sugar, function as counterparts to anthocyanins and are built upon the benzopyrylium (chromenylium) ion. Specifically, they constitute salt derivatives of the 2-phenylchromenylium cation, commonly known as the flavylium cation, with chloride primarily serving as the counterion.

Distinguishing themselves from other flavonoids owing to their positive charge, anthocyanidins achieve stability through the incorporation of a glycose moiety, typically glucose, at the 3-position. This glycosylation process is facilitated by flavonoid 3-glucosyltransferase (GT). Anthocyanidins can be classified into 3-hydroxyanthocyanidins, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, and O-methylated anthocyanidins.

Nature harbors around 17 anthocyanidins, with six—cyanidin, delphinidin, petunidin, peonidin, pelargonidin, and malvidin, where cyanidin is the predominant one—being widely distributed and holding substantial importance for humans. Apart from their role as natural dyes, anthocyanidins showcase pharmaceutical potential, presenting various health benefits.

Scientific inquiries, spanning cell culture studies, animal models, and human clinical trials, confirm the antioxidative and antimicrobial attributes of anthocyanidins. These compounds contribute to improved visual and neurological health and offer protection against a range of non-communicable diseases.
Anthocyanidins: Health-Promoting Natural Compounds

Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are the largest group of water-soluble pigments in the plant kingdom and belong to the family of compounds known as flavonoids that are synthesized by plants as part of their secondary metabolism. Based on their chemical characteristics, flavonoids are divided into different subclasses: flavonols, flavanols, anthocyanidins, flavanones, flavones and isoflavones.

Anthocyanins are colored water-soluble pigments belonging to the phenolic group. They occur primarily as glycosides or acylglycosides of their respective aglycone anthocyanidins. These pigments, naturally present in fruits and vegetables, provide color and promote health benefits to consumers due to their antioxidant capacity.

The different anthocyanin conjugates absorb light at about 500 nm and are responsible for the red, blue and purple color of fruits and vegetables.

Among the anthocyanin pigments, cyanidin-3-glucoside is the major anthocyanin found in most of the plants. The colored anthocyanin pigments have been traditionally used as a natural food colorant. The color and stability of these pigments are influenced by pH, light, temperature, and structure.

Anthocyanins have important functions in plant physiology. They are believed to play a major role in both pollination and seed dispersal. Anthocyanins have been shown to be strong antioxidants and may exert a wide range of health benefits through antioxidant or other mechanisms. Several studies have shown that anthocyanins display a wide range of biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-carcinogenic activities.
Anthocyanins

Anthocyanin rich vegetables

Anthocyanin is the red, blue-red, blue or purple pigment in vegetables such as red cabbage, red plums and rhubarb. It is also available in fruits such as blueberries, cherries and raspberries.

It is prevalent in buds and young shoots and is an underlying pigments of chlorophyll, that becomes apparent as a purplish pigment in autumn leaves when chlorophyll decomposes.

The color of the anthocyanins in these foods is affected by several factors including changes in pH that may occur during simmering.

Most studies on the effect of the initial processing operation on the anthocyanin ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce have found no significant changes. The anthocyanins of the vegetables in human diet have considerably more complex glycosyl moieties than those of the fruits.

The ‘average’ anthocyanin made from the 51 major anthocyanins occurring in vegetables has a molecular weight of 887.2 amu and consists of the anthocyanidin, 2.7 monosaccharide units and 0.9 aromatic acyl group
Anthocyanin rich vegetables