Anthocyanins from <i>Rubus fruticosus</i> L. and <i>Morus nigra</i> L. Applied as Food Colorants: A Natural Alternative
Erika N. Vega,
Adriana K. Molina,
Carla Pereira,
Maria Inês Dias,
Sandrina A. Heleno,
Paula Rodrigues,
Isabel P. Fernandes,
Maria Filomena Barreiro,
Dejan Stojković,
Marina Soković,
Márcio Carocho,
João C. M. Barreira,
Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira,
Lillian Barros
Affiliations
Erika N. Vega
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Adriana K. Molina
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Carla Pereira
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Maria Inês Dias
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Sandrina A. Heleno
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Paula Rodrigues
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Isabel P. Fernandes
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Maria Filomena Barreiro
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Dejan Stojković
Department of Plant Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”-National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Marina Soković
Department of Plant Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”-National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Márcio Carocho
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
João C. M. Barreira
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Lillian Barros
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Given the importance of colour in the general acceptance or rejection of a product, the use of colorants is a widespread practice, particularly in the food industry. At the same time, with the increasing consumers’ awareness of the health effects that some artificial colorants can exert, there is a growing tendency to prioritize foodstuffs containing natural additives. In this work, Morus nigra L. and Rubus fruticosus L. fruit juices were characterized in terms of anthocyanins, organic acids, free sugars, and tocopherols, as also regarding their bioactive properties. Given their richness in anthocyanins, this study also aimed to prepare different solid colouring formulations by the spray-drying technique, using as stabilizers maltodextrin and arabic gum. Six free sugars and two organic acids were detected in the fruit juices, as well as the four tocopherol isoforms. Two cyanidin derivatives were found in M. nigra (cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-O-rhamnoside) and other four in R. fruticosus (cyanidin-O-hexoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-O-pentoside, and cyanidin-3-O-dioxaloilglucoside). The developed colouring formulations revealed a good stability over time, in terms of anthocyanin concentration and colour parameters, and revealed to be safe for consumption, either concerning their low microbial load and lack of cytotoxicity. Thus, they represent a promising natural alternative to the massively used artificial colorants.