ANTHOCYANINS: WHAT ARE AND WHAT YOU NEED?




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WHAT ARE ANTHOCYANINS:

Anthocyanins (from the greek anthos = flower, kyáneos = blue) are a class of water-soluble pigments belonging to the flavonoid family.

Anthocyanins are among the most important groups of pigments found in plants, and are found in fruits and flowers as well as shrubs and in the autumn leaves. The color of anthocyanin can range from red to blue, depending on the pH of the medium in which they are located and by the formation of salts with heavy metals present in those tissues.

Anthocyanins are present, albeit with varying amounts in almost all higher plants and are found especially in fruits and flowers, but can also be present on leaves and roots, very often in combination with other pigments such as carotenoids and flavonoids. Together they are responsible for the coloration of the leaves of deciduous trees in autumn, when photosynthesis stops as well as the production of chlorophyll.



FUNCTIONS ANTHOCYANINS:

Anthocyanins have different tasks. Thanks to their antioxidant power, protect plants from damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, absorbing light in a specific wavelength. In fact, in the event of exposure to large amounts of UV radiation, their production immediately increases to compensate for this emergency. Moreover they are able to absorb blue-green light and this has been shown to protect the plants in times of high illumination in combination with drought or low temperature.Grazie to their colors then these pigments are able to attract insects and animals, thus providing a aid for the reproduction of plants and the transport of the seeds.



FOODS RICH IN ANTHOCYANINS:




Foods rich in anthocyanins are black currant, cherry, red cabbage, eggplant, grapes, strawberry, elderberry and berries in general. Other foods that anthocyanins are present, albeit to a lesser extent, are the banana, asparagus, peas, pears and potatoes. The color of these substances is so strong that often mask other pigments.


Foods                           Anthocyanin in mg for 100 g food

Eggplant                                      750
Orange                                        ~ 200
Mora                                            ~ 115
Raspberry                                    10-60
Cherry                                          350-400
Ribes                                            80-420
Red grapefruit                             30-750
Black grapes                                888
Red wine                                      24-35

PROPERTIES 'OF ANTHOCYANINS:

The anthocyanins are polyaromatic compounds polyhydroxylated capable of reacting with the oxidants such as molecular oxygen and free radicals thereby reducing the damage that these molecules may lead to cells and tissues.
Thanks to their antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging, these substances can be very useful for their applications in medicine: protect against various aging processes or cellular changes caused by oxygen, including inflammatory and cancerous changes.
They are also a great help in case of capillary fragility.




See also: oxidative stress   


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