E163 ANTOCIANI

E163 ANTOCIANI

The anthocyanins or anthocyanins, belonging to the flavonoid family, are polyhydric polyhydroxy compounds, able to react with oxidants (such as molecular oxygen and free radicals) neutralizing them and thus decreasing the tissue damage that these molecules can cause.

Anthocyanins are a set of water-soluble pigments that give color to fruits, vegetables and flowers. They vary in color from red to blue and this chromatic variation also depends on the pH value present in the medium in which they are found, as well as on the formation of salts with heavy metals that may be contained.

Anthocyanins are present, in different concentrations, in higher plants (almost all), in flowers and fruits, in shrubs, and in leaves and roots, often together with carotenoids and flavonoids. All these pigments achieve the typical coloring of autumn leaves.

Anthocyanins are frequently used as natural food additives, thanks to their peculiarity in giving a specific color to the products in which they are contained, such as non-alcoholic drinks, yogurt, fruit jams, pastry products, packaged ice creams, popsicles, fruit preserves, sauces etc., without determining negative side effects for humans. For this reason it would be desirable, also to fully exploit their antioxidant power, to increase the content of anthocyanins in the various food products in place of analogous but synthetic dyes.

Anthocyanins, thanks to their intrinsic characteristics, can cover different functions:

• in plants that have just emerged and in shoots, they have a protective function against ultraviolet rays;
• thanks to the "bright" colors of their pigments, they are able to attract insects and animals, favoring the reproduction of plants and the transport of seeds;
• they protect against capillary fragility and counteract various cellular aging processes;
• they can be used as pH indicators, turning from red to blue with increasing alkalinity of the environment;
• they can be used as red food colorants and indicated on the product labels, with the initials E163.

There are subclasses of the E163 which are the following:

E163 (a) Pelargonidine → present in strawberries, blackberries, radicchio roots, but completely absent in any grape variety;

E163 (b) Cyanidin → present in numerous products, such as peaches, cherries, plums, red cabbage;

E163 (c) Peonidin → present in grapes, mango;

E163 (d) Delfinidin → present in grapes, blackcurrant;

E163 (e) Petunidina → present in American grapes;

E163 (f) Malvidin → present in red grapes.

Anthocyanins are extracted mainly from the skin of red grapes, some red berries and red cabbage.

They do not present any harmful side effects.

ADI DOSE: /

E100	E101	E101a	E102	E104	E110	E120	E122
E123	E124	E127	E128	E129	E131	E132	E133
E140	E141	E142	E150a	E150b	E150c	E150d	E151
E153	E154	E155	E160a	E160b	E160c	E160d	E160e
E160f	E161	E161a	E161b	E161c	E161d	E161e	E161f
E161g	E162	E163	E170	E171	E172	E173	E174
E175	E180