What Are Anthocyanins?
Anthocyanins are water soluble pigments found in many plants. These pigments have several functions in the plant, and they are also of nutritional interest, because they have been linked with nutritional benefits such as cancer prevention. People eat anthocyanins every day, and many people have a diet rich in these pigments. Depending on pH, anthocyanins can be red, violet, or blue. The bright red color of an apple is due to the presence of anthocyanins, as is the rich blue of a blueberry. These pigments can be found in fruits, stems, and leaves, and their levels may fluctuate. New plant growth, for example, is often tinged red with anthocyanin, with the pigment flushing out as the plant develops and the growth matures. In plants, one of the key roles of anthocyanins is as a form of sunblock. These dark pigments protect plants from sun damage, and decrease the risk that a plant will be burned or wilted by hot sun. Anthocyanins also act to attract pollinators by acting as bright flags w
Anthocyanins are pigments found in some plants, vegetables and fruits. From the Greek words for plant and blue, anthocyanins are what make blueberries blue, and Cuzco Purple Corn. What are the Properties of Anthocyanins? Anthocyanins are in a class of plant compounds called flavonoids. Approximately 4,000 different flavonoids have since been discovered, but a recent study of over 150 flavonoids found that anthocyanins have the greatest antioxidating power. Each fruit has its own distinct proportions of anthocyanins that determine its shade. Over 200 anthocyanins have been discovered. Purple corn has 70% cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside or C3G. The high concentration of cyanidin as opposed to other anthocyanins gives Purple Corn many of its unique health-promoting properties. Cyanidin Cyanadin is highly unstable, and can be broken down or affected by high temperatures or acidity, so maintaining the health benefits of anthocyanins in supplements can be tricky. The extraction process maintai
