Betalains in Red and Yellow Varieties of the Andean Tuber Crop Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus)

Abstract

The betalain pigments in ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus), a tuberous crop native to the Andes, have been investigated for the first time using LC-DAD-ESI-MS-MS(2) analyses. Five red, yellow, and red-spotted accessions introduced into New Zealand as a new food crop plus two red tetraploid lines were investigated. Thirty-two different betalains were identified. Both the yellow and red tubers were rich in yellow betaxanthins, and the most prominent among the 20 identified were histidine-betaxanthin, arginine-betaxanthin and glutamine-betaxanthin. Arginine-betaxanthin has been reported to occur naturally only once before and was found in yellow ulluco but not in the red tubers. Twelve betacyanins were found in red tubers, with roughly 50% of this content being betanin/isobetanin. Betacyanin levels were up to 70 microg/g fresh weight in red tubers, but were below quantifiable levels in yellow tubers. Betaxanthin levels were up to 50 microg/g fresh weight in yellow tubers. Interference by betacyanins in measuring levels of betaxanthins by visible spectrophotometry is discussed. Low concentrations of betalains were detected in leaves, whereas stems contained total levels similar to the tubers, with dopamine-betaxanthin and betanin being the major pigments. This is the first report describing both the betacyanin and betaxanthin patterns in a plant from the Basellaceae family.

By-product recovery of Opuntia spp. peels: Betalainic and phenolic profiles and bioactive properties

“…Betalain molecules displays wide range of hues, betacyanins have reddish-violet colour while betaxanthins have a general yellow-orange colour (Albano et al, 2015;Esquivel, 2016;Gandía-herrero et al, 2013;Gandía-Herrero et al, 2010), the latter being only identified in OG and OS samples. Five betacyanins were identified, betanidin-5-O-β-sophoroside, betanidin-5-O-β-glucoside (betanin), isobetanin, gomphrenin I and betanidin (peaks 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively), having been previously identified by other authors (CastellanosSantiago and Yahia, 2008;Morales et al, 2015Morales et al, , 2014Stintzing et al, 2002;Svenson et al, 2008). On the contrary of betaxanthins, betacianins fraction was found in higher quantities in OE samples, being peak 4 (betanin) the main compound found (14.9 mg/g extract), This characteristic can be easily predicted due to the strong violet hue present in OE and also because betanin (betanidin-5-O-β-glucoside) is the most widespread betacyanin among plants (Esatbeyoglu et al, 2014).…”

“…cultivars and also by Svenson et al (2008) in Ullucus tuberosus fruits. Betalain molecules displays wide range of hues, betacyanins have reddish-violet colour while betaxanthins have a general yellow-orange colour (Albano et al, 2015;Esquivel, 2016;Gandía-herrero et al, 2013;Gandía-Herrero et al, 2010), the latter being only identified in OG and OS samples.…”

Potential use of new Colombian sources of betalains. Colorimetric study of red prickly pear (Opuntia dillenii) extracts under different technological conditions

“…The UV-vis spectra were recorded from 360-800 nm in order to develop a photometric quantification of betalains, according to the method proposed by (Svenson, Smallfield, Joyce, Sansom, & Perry, 2008). Maximum absorbance of 484 and 535 nm was reported to quantify betaxanthins and betacyanins, respectively.…”

Ullucus tuberosus Caldas: colección de germoplasma de ulluco conservada en el Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP)

“…En la actualidad, se estima que alrededor de 30 millones de personas en los Andes consumen ulluco (Hermann & Heller 1997). Fuera de los Andes, el cultivo comercial del ulluco ha logrado ser exitoso en Nueva Zelanda (Busch et al 2000, Svenson et al 2008). …”

“…Svenson et al (2008) han reportado la presencia de 32 tipos de betalaínas en ulluco, 20 de ellas del tipo betaxantina (responsables del color amarillo y anaranjado) y las 12 restantes del tipo betacianina (responsables del color rojo y púrpura). Estos pigmentos carecen casi por completo de actividad antioxidante y por esta razón la oca, la papa y la mashua constituyen fuentes mucho más abundantes de compuestos antioxidantes (Campos et al 2006).…”