Anthocyanin and its Bioavailability, Health Benefits, and Applications: A Comprehensive Review

ABSTRACT

Anthocyanins, a significant subclass of polyphenols, are prevalent across various plant species. Known for their vibrant colors, which make them desirable as natural pigments, anthocyanins have also garnered attention for their diverse biological activities, leading to their widespread use in food processing and supplement development. However, their structural instability poses a challenge, as it directly impacts their bioavailability and, consequently, their nutritional efficacy. This review paper delves into the chemical structure and food sources of anthocyanins and examines strategies to enhance their stability and bioavailability, particularly through improved understanding of their digestion and absorption in the human body. Additionally, it explores the broad spectrum of anthocyanins’ biological activities, including their antioxidant, hypoglycemic, anticancer, cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects, analyzing these properties from a mechanistic perspective. Factors such as pH, temperature, light exposure, solvent interactions, and metal ions are known to negatively affect anthocyanin stability. Thus, future research should prioritize processing techniques that can preserve their structure more effectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Anthocyanin
• solubility
• stability
• health benefit
• application

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Henan Province key research and development project [241111110600], Beijing High-level Talent Project [19008024075].