Bioactive Natural Pigments’ Extraction, Isolation, and Stability in Food Applications

Abstract

Color in food has multiple effects on consumers, since this parameter is related to the quality of a product, its freshness, and even its nutrient content. Each food has a characteristic color; however, this can be affected by the technological treatments that are applied during its manufacturing process, as well as its storage. Therefore, the development of new food products should take into account consumer preferences, the physical properties of a product, food safety standards, the economy, and applications of technology. With all of this, the use of food additives, such as dyes, is increasingly important due to the interest in the natural coloring of foods, strict regulatory pressure, problems with the toxicity of synthetic food colors, and the need for globally approved colors, in addition to current food market trends that focus on the consumption of healthy, organic, and natural products. It is for this reason that there is a growing demand for natural pigments that drives the food industry to seek or improve extraction techniques, as well as to study different stability processes, considering their interactions with the food matrix, in order to meet the needs and expectations of consumers.

Extraction of organic pigments from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and red amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) for safe use in agro-products

“…Color is one of the most vital attributes of food considering quality indicators and acceptability [ [1] , [2] , [3] ]. Consumers’ acceptability largely depends on the color, flavor, and taste of products [ 4 ].…”

“…The common practice for coloring food is to use synthetic azo-dye, which is considered low in cost and high in stability. Recent research revealed that food colored with synthetic dyes is associated with numerous health effects, especially hyperactivity in children [ 3 , 8 , 9 ]. Numerous studies have highlighted the health advantages associated with natural pigments, particularly anthocyanins, and carotenoids [ 10 , 11 ].…”

“…Numerous studies have highlighted the health advantages associated with natural pigments, particularly anthocyanins, and carotenoids [ 10 , 11 ]. In recent years, the importance of investigating and increasing the use of natural pigments in novel and attractive food matrices has become evident [ 3 , 12 , 13 ]. Plant-based natural pigments such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophylls not only add attractive colors to food products, but also provide consumers with therapeutic effects, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities [ 3 , 7 ].…”

“…In recent years, the importance of investigating and increasing the use of natural pigments in novel and attractive food matrices has become evident [ 3 , 12 , 13 ]. Plant-based natural pigments such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophylls not only add attractive colors to food products, but also provide consumers with therapeutic effects, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities [ 3 , 7 ]. These pigments have been extensively investigated for their antioxidant properties, which offer protection against harmful free radicals and can help lower the risk of cancer and heart disease [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Effect of ultrasound‐assisted thin bed drying for retaining the quality of red bell pepper and compare the predictive ability of the mathematical model with artificial neural network

“…Yellow‐orange bell peppers contain beta‐ and gamma‐carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta‐cryptoxanthin, while green varieties are rich in chlorophyll and carotenoids (Chouaibi et al, 2019; Marín et al, 2004). These natural pigments not only serve as alternatives to artificial food colorings but also contribute to the pepper's multifunctionality and market value (Echegaray et al, 2023; Gomes et al, 2014; Molina et al, 2023).…”