Anthocyanins: From plant pigments to health benefits at mitochondrial level

Abstract

Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments providing certain color for various plant parts, especially in edible berries. Earlier these compounds were only known as natural food colorants, the stability of which depended on pH, light, storage temperature and chemical structure. However, due to the increase of the in vitro, in vivo experimental data, as well as of the epidemiological studies, today anthocyanins and their metabolites are also regarded as potential pharmaceutical compounds providing various beneficial health effects on either human or animal cardiovascular system, brain, liver, pancreas and kidney. Many of these effects are shown to be related to the free-radical scavenging and antioxidant properties of anthocyanins, or to their ability to modulate the intracellular antioxidant systems. However, it is generally overlooked that instead of acting exclusively as antioxidants certain anthocyanins affect the activity of mitochondria that are the main source of energy in cells. Therefore, the aim of the present review is to summarize the major knowledge about the chemistry and regulation of biosynthesis of anthocyanins in plants, to overview the facts on bioavailability, and to discuss the most recent experimental findings related to the beneficial health effects emphasizing mitochondria.

Keywords:

• Biosynthesis
• bioavailability and metabolism
• neuro- and cardioprotection
• hepatoprotection
• kidney and pancreas
• oxidative phosphorylation

Acknowledgement

We thank Rasa Baniene and Danas Baniulis for critical reading of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by the Lithuanian Science and Studies Foundation grant awarded to V. Bendokas, V.S., S.T., and J.L. (No. N-07015) and by the Research Council of Lithuania (V. Bendokas, V.S., and J.L.; No. SVE-11008). V. Borutaite and J.L. were supported by the COST Action FA0602 «Bioactive food components, mitochondrial function and health». V. Borutaite and K.S. were supported by European Social Fund under the Global grant measure (project No. VP1-3.1-SMM-07-K-01-130) and under the measure “Advancing qualification of scientists by performing high quality research” (project No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0131). J.L. and S.T. are supported by the programme «2014-2020 Investment of EU Funds in Lithuania: Intellect. Common Scientific and Bussiness Projects» (project No J05-LVPA–K-03-0117). S.T. also appreciates the financial support from the Ekhagastiftelsen (project No. 2017-33). S.P. acknowledges financial support from the Italy-Slovenia Interreg Programme 2014-2020 (Agrotur II project).