Betanin (betanidin 5-O-β-D-glucoside) is a water-soluble plant pigment used as a color additive in food, drugs and cosmetic products. Despite its sensitivity to light and heat, betanin maintains appreciable tinctorial strength in low acidic and neutral conditions, where the color of other plant pigments, such as anthocyanins, quickly fades. However, betanin is an iminium natural product that experiences acid- and base-catalyzed hydrolysis to form the fairly stable betalamic acid and cyclo-DOPA-5-O-β-D-glucoside. Here, we show that the decomposition of betanin in aqueous phosphate solution pH 2-11 is subject to general base catalysis by hydrogen phosphate ion and intramolecular general acid and base catalysis, providing new insights on the mechanism of betanin hydrolysis. UV/Vis absorption spectrophotometry, H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry were used to investigate product formation. Furthermore, theoretical calculations support the hypothesis that the nitrogen atom of the tetrahydropyridine ring of betanin is doubly protonated, as observed for structurally simpler amino dicarboxylic acids. Our results contribute to the study of betanin and other pigments belonging to the class of betalains and to deepen the knowledge on the chemical properties of imino acids as well as on iminium-catalyzed modifications of carbonyl compounds in water.

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The diversity of colors found in the flora results from the interaction of a few classes of pigments with light. Betalains are nontoxic vacuolar pigments that replace anthocyanins in some families of angiosperms and some basidiomycete fungi. There are two classes of betalains: yellow betaxanthins and red betacyanins both biosynthesized from betalamic acid, a fluorescent aldehyde derivative of L-tyrosine. Betalains are found, for example, in beetroot, dragon fruit, fly agaric, bougainvillea and amaranth. In addition, the petals of yellow varieties of four-o'clock and eleven-o'clock are pigmented by fluorescent betaxanthins. In this review we discuss the major aspects of the occurrence and chemical and photophysical properties of betalains as well as some of their technological applications.

Betaxanthins are natural products with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we describe the semisynthesis of twenty-one betaxanthins derived from proteinogenic amino acids, including the elusive betaxanthin of l-cysteine and two betaxanthins derived from l-lysine, and rationalize their antioxidant properties in mechanistic terms. The antioxidant capacity and redox potential of these betaxanthins were compared to those of model betaxanthins derived from dopamine, l-DOPA (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine), and pyrrolidine and structure–property relationships were established by using matched molecular pair analysis and a model developed using a genetic algorithm. Either a phenol or indole moiety enhance the antioxidant capacity of betaxanthins, which is overall much higher than that of their amino acid precursors and standard antioxidants, except for the cysteine-betaxanthin. The one-electron oxidation of amino acid betaxanthins produces radicals stabilized in multiple centers, as demonstrated by quantum chemical calculations.

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The l -DOPA dioxygenase of Amanita muscaria (AmDODA) participates in the biosynthesis of betalain- and hygroaurin-type natural pigments. AmDODA is encoded by the dodA gene, whose DNA sequence was inferred from cDNA and gDNA libraries almost 30 years ago. However, reports on its heterologous expression rely on either the original 5′-truncated cDNA plasmid or artificial gene synthesis. We provide unequivocal evidence that the heterologous expression of AmDODA from A. muscaria specimens is not possible by using the coding sequence previously inferred for dodA . Here, we rectify and reannotate the full-length coding sequence for AmDODA and express a 205-aa His-tagged active enzyme, which was used to produce the l -DOPA hygroaurin, a rare fungal pigment. Moreover, AmDODA and other isozymes from bacteria were submitted to de novo folding using deep learning algorithms, and their putative active sites were inferred and compared. The wide catalytic pocket of AmDODA and the presence of the His-His-His and His-His-Asp motifs can provide insight into the dual cleavage of l -DOPA at positions 2,3 and 4,5 as per the mechanism proposed for nonheme dioxygenases.

Betanin and indicaxanthin were obtained and purified and the thermal hydrolysis of betanin was investigated at different pH, buffer concentration, temperature and in the presence of different salts. For the decomposition of indicaxanthin, a study was conducted at different pHs. Acetate buffer and citrate buffer proved to be suitable for the study of betanin. The experiments carried out with phosphate buffer indicated the occurrence of general base catalysis by phosphate ion present in the buffer. The effect of salts on the betanin hydrolysis was investigated at pH 3 and 6.2 with the addition of sodium salts, ammonium salts and chlorides. Sodium p-toluenesulfonate, ammonium chloride and tetrabutylammonium chloride had the larger effects on the observed rate constant for the hydrolysis of betanin. The variation of pH resulted in similar hydrolysis profile for both betalains studied and multiparameter fitting of the data suggests that the specific base catalysis is primarily responsible for the hydrolysis of betanin and indicaxanthin. A model that suggests the opening of the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridine ring of betalains is proposed to explain the effect of pH on the decomposition rate constant under acidic conditions.

<div> <div> <div> <p>Nitrones derived from natural antioxidants are emerging as highly specific therapeutics against various human diseases, including stroke, neurodegenerative pathologies, and cancer. However, the development of useful pseudo-natural nitrones requires the judicious choice of a secondary metabolite as the precursor. Betalains are nitrogen-containing natural pigments that exhibit marked antioxidant capacity and pharmacological properties and, hence, are ideal candidates for designing multifunctional nitrones. In this work, we describe the semisynthesis and properties of a biocompatible, antioxidant betalain-nitrone called OxiBeet. This bio-based compound is a better radical scavenger than ascorbic acid, gallic acid, and most non-phenolic antioxidants and undergoes concerted proton-coupled electron transfer. The autoxidation of OxiBeet produces a persistent nitroxide radical, which, herein, is studied via electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that excited state formation is not required for the oxidation of OxiBeet. The results are compared with those obtained using betanin, a natural betalain, and pBeet, the imine analog of OxiBeet. The findings of this study will enable the development of antioxidant nitrones based on the novel N-oxide 1,7-diazaheptamethinium scaffold and betalain dyes with enhanced hydrolytic stability in aqueous alkaline media. </p> </div> </div> </div>