Metal-free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin–protein interactions
Introduction: The scarcity of naturally available sources for blue colorants has driven reliance on synthetic alternatives. Nevertheless, growing health concerns have prompted the development of naturally derived blue colorants, which remains challenging with limited success thus far. Anthocyanins (...
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Advanced Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123224000808 |
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| author | Wenxin Wang Peiqing Yang Fuqing Gao Yongtao Wang Zhenzhen Xu Xiaojun Liao |
| author_facet | Wenxin Wang Peiqing Yang Fuqing Gao Yongtao Wang Zhenzhen Xu Xiaojun Liao |
| author_sort | Wenxin Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The scarcity of naturally available sources for blue colorants has driven reliance on synthetic alternatives. Nevertheless, growing health concerns have prompted the development of naturally derived blue colorants, which remains challenging with limited success thus far. Anthocyanins (ACNs) are known for providing blue colors in plants, and metal complexation with acylated ACNs remains the primary strategy to generate stable blue hues. However, this approach can be costly and raise concerns regarding potential metal consumption risks. Objectives: Our study aims to introduce a metal-free approach to achieve blue coloration in commonly distributed non-acylated 3-glucoside ACNs by exploring their interactions with proteins and unveiling the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Using human serum albumin (HSA) as a model protein, we investigated the structural influences of ACNs on their blue color generation using visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching, and molecular simulations. Additionally, we examined the bluing effects of six proteins derived from milk and egg and identified the remarkable roles of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYS). Results: Our findings highlighted the importance of two or more hydroxyl or methoxyl substituents in the B-ring of ACNs for generating blue colors. Cyanidin-, delphinidin- and petunidin-3-glucoside, featuring two neighboring hydroxyl groups in the B-ring, exhibited blue coloration when interacting with HSA or LYS, driven primarily by favorable enthalpy changes. In contrast, malvidin-3-glucoside, with two methoxyl substituents, achieved blue coloration through interactions with HSA or BSA, where entropy change played significant roles. Conclusion: Our work, for the first time, demonstrates the remarkable capability of widely distributed 3-glucoside ACNs to generate diverse blue shades through interactions with certain proteins. This offers a promising and straightforward strategy for the production of ACN-based blue colorants, stimulating further research in this field. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-465a52a525714c7b916041b37cc8e2dd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-1232 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Journal of Advanced Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-465a52a525714c7b916041b37cc8e2dd2025-01-18T05:04:20ZengElsevierJournal of Advanced Research2090-12322025-02-01681729Metal-free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin–protein interactionsWenxin Wang0Peiqing Yang1Fuqing Gao2Yongtao Wang3Zhenzhen Xu4Xiaojun Liao5College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-thermal Processing, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; Institute of Quality Standard & Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Agro-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Corresponding authors at: College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-thermal Processing, Beijing, China; Corresponding authors at: College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.Introduction: The scarcity of naturally available sources for blue colorants has driven reliance on synthetic alternatives. Nevertheless, growing health concerns have prompted the development of naturally derived blue colorants, which remains challenging with limited success thus far. Anthocyanins (ACNs) are known for providing blue colors in plants, and metal complexation with acylated ACNs remains the primary strategy to generate stable blue hues. However, this approach can be costly and raise concerns regarding potential metal consumption risks. Objectives: Our study aims to introduce a metal-free approach to achieve blue coloration in commonly distributed non-acylated 3-glucoside ACNs by exploring their interactions with proteins and unveiling the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Using human serum albumin (HSA) as a model protein, we investigated the structural influences of ACNs on their blue color generation using visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching, and molecular simulations. Additionally, we examined the bluing effects of six proteins derived from milk and egg and identified the remarkable roles of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYS). Results: Our findings highlighted the importance of two or more hydroxyl or methoxyl substituents in the B-ring of ACNs for generating blue colors. Cyanidin-, delphinidin- and petunidin-3-glucoside, featuring two neighboring hydroxyl groups in the B-ring, exhibited blue coloration when interacting with HSA or LYS, driven primarily by favorable enthalpy changes. In contrast, malvidin-3-glucoside, with two methoxyl substituents, achieved blue coloration through interactions with HSA or BSA, where entropy change played significant roles. Conclusion: Our work, for the first time, demonstrates the remarkable capability of widely distributed 3-glucoside ACNs to generate diverse blue shades through interactions with certain proteins. This offers a promising and straightforward strategy for the production of ACN-based blue colorants, stimulating further research in this field.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123224000808AnthocyaninsProteinsNatural blue colorantsBinding interactions |
| spellingShingle | Wenxin Wang Peiqing Yang Fuqing Gao Yongtao Wang Zhenzhen Xu Xiaojun Liao Metal-free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin–protein interactions Journal of Advanced Research Anthocyanins Proteins Natural blue colorants Binding interactions |
| title | Metal-free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin–protein interactions |
| title_full | Metal-free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin–protein interactions |
| title_fullStr | Metal-free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin–protein interactions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metal-free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin–protein interactions |
| title_short | Metal-free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin–protein interactions |
| title_sort | metal free production of natural blue colorants through anthocyanin protein interactions |
| topic | Anthocyanins Proteins Natural blue colorants Binding interactions |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123224000808 |
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