Non-thermal stabilization mechanisms of anthocyanins in model and food systems-An overview

Phenolic compounds are part of the secondary metabolism of plants and are of great importance for their survival in unfavourable environment. A class of phenolic compounds easily found in the Plant Kingdom, is anthocyanins, a flavonoid category. They are water-soluble pigments that confer the bright red, blue, and purple colors of fruits and vegetables and promote several health benefits due to their diverse biological activities. Different factors affect the color and stability of these compounds including pH, temperature, light, presence of copigments, self-association, metallic ions, enzymes, oxygen, ascorbic acid, sugar, among others. For this reason many studies have been conducted with the aim to increase the stability of these substances. Therefore, the present review highlights studies on the stabilization of anthocyanins and presents latent anthocyanin stabilization mechanisms and demonstrates the potentiality of the main techniques used: association and encapsulation. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.