Betanin—A food colorant with biological activity

Abstract

Betalains are water-soluble nitrogen-containing pigments that are subdivided in red-violet betacyanins and yellow-orange betaxanthins. Due to glycosylation and acylation betalains exhibit a huge structural diversity. Betanin (betanidin-5-O-β-glucoside) is the most common betacyanin in the plant kingdom. According to the regulation on food additives betanin is permitted quantum satis as a natural red food colorant (E162). Moreover, betanin is used as colorant in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Recently, potential health benefits of betalains and betalain-rich foods (e.g. red beet, Opuntia sp.) have been discussed. Betanin is a scavenger of reactive oxygen species and exhibits gene-regulatory activity partly via nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2-(Nrf2) dependent signaling pathways. Betanin may induce phase II enzymes and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Furthermore, betanin possibly prevents LDL oxidation and DNA damage. Potential blood pressure lowering effects of red beet seem to be mainly mediated by dietary nitrate rather than by betanin per se.

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

“…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). In this matter, betanin concentration in the analysed samples was in concordance with the previous statement commented.…”

Plant betalains: Chemistry and biochemistry

“…However, the available information on physiological role of betalains in planta does not seem to hold the clue. This necessitates systematic investigation on betalains' ability to interact with signalling factors/enzymes, if any, or auxin-antagonistic activity (Stenlid, 1976) to understand if betalains can modulate certain gene expression, as demonstrated for betanin in liver cell lines (Esatbeyoglu et al, 2014) and for many dietary phenolic compounds (Crozier et al, 2009), to repress anthocyanin synthesis in planta.…”

“…The fact that beeturia was not a phenomenon to worry about prompted a number of studies on antioxidant and biological activities vis-avis bioavailaibility of betalains. Several researchers have presented periodic updates in the past on betalain structure identification, occurrence (Strack et al, 1993(Strack et al, , 2003Cai et al, 2005), stability, chromatic and functional importance (Delgado-Vargas et al, 2000;Herbach et al, 2006;Stintzing and Carle, 2008;Moreno et al, 2008), chemosystematics (Brockington et al, 2011), production in vitro (Georgiev et al, 2008), biosynthesis (Strack et al, 2003;Gandía-Herrero and García-Carmona, 2013), and biological activity (Esatbeyoglu et al, 2014;Gandía-Herrero et al, 2014). However, in past two decades, there has been no update on the chemistry vis-avis biosynthesis and ecophysiological factors regulating betalain accumulation, and elicitation in situ/ex situ for improving betalain production.…”

Effects of Beetroot Juice on Recovery of Muscle Function and Performance between Bouts of Repeated Sprint Exercise

“…The most potent antioxidant molecules in BTJ are thought to be the betalain pigments, which are responsible for beetroot’s violet colour [28]. The betalains, and betanin in particular, are very effective electron donors that have been shown to not only attenuate ROS mediated injury but also to upregulate endogenous antioxidant enzymes and stimulate host defence [29,30,31,32]. In addition, BTJ is rich in nitrate, which, via its reduction to nitric oxide (NO) might have indirect antioxidant effects by supressing the accumulation of leukocytes [33], which are thought to be the main producers of ROS after muscle-damaging exercise [34].…”