Orange and yellow are the functions of carotene. 19 10 found β -carotene in carrots, and then found two other isomers of carotene in * * * *, namely α, β and γ. 1958 β -carotene has been patented (US2849495,1958 August 26th, patentee: Hoffman Roche). At present, it is mainly extracted from the ocean, and can also be artificially synthesized.
There are more than 300 different anthocyanins in nature. They come from different kinds of fruits and vegetables, such as cranberries, cranberries, blueberries, grapes, elderberry red, blackcurrant, purple carrots and red cabbage, and their colors range from red to blue. These anthocyanins mainly include Delchindin, cyanidin, petunia and paeoniflorin.
The color of anthocyanins changes with the change of PH value, from raspberry red at PH 3 to dark blueberry red at PH 5. In most applications, these pigments have good light, heat and PH stability, and can withstand pasteurization and UHT heat treatment. Anthocyanins are widely used in beverages, sweets, jellies and jams.
In recent years, more and more people began to pay attention to the possible health benefits of anthocyanins as polyphenols. In the future, this characteristic of anthocyanins may be more and more used in functional food and health food. At present, there are mature anthocyanin products in the market, mainly including blueberry anthocyanin, blueberry anthocyanin, cranberry anthocyanin, elderberry anthocyanin, blackberry anthocyanin and black bean skin anthocyanin, with the content of 25% or 40%. Mr. Xue Xifeng of Xi 'an Tianyi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. made a detailed study on the extraction process, and started mass production of 25% anthocyanins at 200 1.
The role of anthocyanins
Anthocyanin brings many benefits to human body. Fundamentally speaking, anthocyanin is a powerful antioxidant, which can protect the human body from a harmful substance called free radicals. Anthocyanins can also enhance blood vessel elasticity, improve circulatory system and skin smoothness, inhibit inflammation and allergy, and improve joint flexibility. Some functions of anthocyanins are listed as follows:
1. helps to prevent many diseases related to free radicals, including cancer, heart disease, premature aging and arthritis;
2. Reduce the occurrence of heart disease and stroke by preventing platelet aggregation caused by stress reaction and smoking;
3. Enhance the immune system to resist carcinogens;
4. Reduce the number of colds and shorten the duration;
5. It has antimutagenic effect, thus reducing the formation of carcinogenic factors;
6. It has anti-inflammatory effect, so it can prevent inflammation including arthritis and swelling;
7. Alleviate pollinosis and other allergies;
8. Enhance the elasticity of arteries, veins and capillaries;
9. Protect the inner wall of arterial blood vessels;
10. Maintain the normal elasticity of blood cells, help red blood cells pass through tiny capillaries, thus enhancing blood circulation throughout the body, bringing direct benefits to organs and systems in various parts of the body and enhancing cell vitality;
1 1. Relaxation of blood vessels promotes blood flow and prevents hypertension (antihypertensive effect);
13. Prevent the hypertension caused by angiotensin converting enzyme released by the kidney (another hypotensive effect);
14. As a barrier to protect brain cells, prevent the formation of amyloid β protein, glutamate toxicity and free radical attack, thus preventing Alzheimer's disease;
15. By inhibiting elastase and collagenase, the skin becomes smooth and elastic, and the skin is prevented from being damaged by excessive sun exposure from both inside and outside.