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anthocyanins
Sign in to saveAlso known as anthocyanin
right|thumb|Purple cauliflower contains anthocyanins. thumb|right|Anthocyanins are glycosides of [[anthocyanidins, the basic chemical structure of which is shown here.]]
Anthocyanins are pigments found in colorful plants like purple cauliflower that give them their deep red, purple, and blue hues. These compounds are naturally occurring chemicals that scientists study because they may have health benefits, though they're primarily known for creating the vibrant colors we see in many fruits and vegetables.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Research
23,458 papers- Bioavailability of Anthocyanins: Whole Foods versus Extracts.ReviewNutrients · 2024Kumkum R, Aston-Mourney K, McNeill BA et al.DOI: 10.3390/nu16101403
- Plant anthocyanins: Classification, biosynthesis, regulation, bioactivity, and health benefits.ReviewPlant physiology and biochemistry : PPB · 2024Lu Z, Wang X, Lin X et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.109268
- Anthocyanins: From Sources and Bioavailability to Cardiovascular-Health Benefits and Molecular Mechanisms of Action.ReviewJournal of agricultural and food chemistry · 2019Krga I, Milenkovic DDOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b06737
- Anthocyanin Pigments: Beyond Aesthetics.ReviewMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Alappat B, Alappat JDOI: 10.3390/molecules25235500
- Dietary Anthocyanins: A Review of the Exercise Performance Effects and Related Physiological Responses.ReviewInternational journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism · 2019Cook MD, Willems METDOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0088
- MYB-Mediated Regulation of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis.ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2021Yan H, Pei X, Zhang H et al.DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063103
- Sugar and anthocyanins: A scientific exploration of sweet signals and natural pigments.ReviewPlant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology · 2025Zhao T, Li Q, Yan T et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2025.112409
- Effects of Anthocyanins in Composite Meals on Cardiometabolic Outcomes-A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Feeding Trials.Nutrients · 2020Ou JLS, Yang D, Liu MHDOI: 10.3390/nu12123781
via PubMed
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- glycoside
Show 5 more facts
- described by source
- Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
- Commons category
- Anthocyanins
- topic's main category
- Category:Anthocyanins
- found in taxon
- Iris
- subject has role
- biological pigment
via Wikidata · CC0
~17 min read
Encyclopedic overview
25 sectionsContents
- Anthocyanin-rich plants
- Coloration
- Plant physiology
- Light absorbance
- Occurrence
- In flowers
- In food
- In leaves of plant foods
- Autumn leaf color
- Colorant safety
- In human consumption
- Chemical properties
- Flavylium cation derivatives
- Glycosides of anthocyanidins
- Stability
- pH
- Use as environmental pH indicator
- Biosynthesis
- Genetic analysis
- Dye-sensitized solar cells
- Visual markers
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
right|thumb|Purple cauliflower contains anthocyanins. thumb|right|Anthocyanins are glycosides of [[anthocyanidins, the basic chemical structure of which is shown here.]]
Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, pink, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart named a chemical compound that gives flowers a blue color, Anthokyan, in his treatise Die Farben der Blüthen (English: The Colors of Flowers). Food plants rich in anthocyanins include the blueberry, raspberry, black rice, and black soybean, among many others that are red, pink, blue, purple, or black. Some of the colors of autumn leaves are derived from anthocyanins.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “anthocyanins” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.