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Review
. 2021 Dec 17:12:792303.
doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.792303. eCollection 2021.

Anthocyanins From Clitoria ternatea Flower: Biosynthesis, Extraction, Stability, Antioxidant Activity, and Applications

Gayan Chandrajith Vidana Gamage  1 , Yau Yan Lim  1 , Wee Sim Choo  1
Affiliations
Review

Anthocyanins From Clitoria ternatea Flower: Biosynthesis, Extraction, Stability, Antioxidant Activity, and Applications

Gayan Chandrajith Vidana Gamage et al. Front Plant Sci. .

Abstract

Clitoria ternatea plant is commonly grown as an ornamental plant and possesses great medicinal value. Its flower is edible and also known as blue pea or butterfly pea flower. The unique feature of anthocyanins present in blue pea flowers is the high abundance of polyacylated anthocyanins known as ternatins. Ternatins are polyacylated derivatives of delphinidin 3,3',5'-triglucoside. This review covers the biosynthesis, extraction, stability, antioxidant activity, and applications of anthocyanins from Clitoria ternatea flower. Hot water extraction of dried or fresh petals of blue pea flower could be employed successfully to extract anthocyanins from blue pea flower for food application. Blue pea flower anthocyanins showed good thermal and storage stability, but less photostability. Blue pea flower anthocyanins also showed an intense blue colour in acidic pH between pH 3.2 to pH 5.2. Blue pea flower anthocyanin extracts demonstrate significant in vitro and cellular antioxidant activities. Blue pea flower anthocyanins could be used as a blue food colourant in acidic and neutral foods. The incorporation of blue pea flower anthocyanins in food increased the functional properties of food such as antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Blue pea flower anthocyanins have also been used in intelligent packaging. A comparison of blue pea flower anthocyanins with two other natural blue colouring agents used in the food industry, spirulina or phycocyanin and genipin-derived pigments is also covered. Anthocyanins from blue pea flowers are promising natural blue food colouring agent.

Keywords: blue colourant; blue pea; delphinidin; functional food; genipin; phycocyanin; spirulina; ternatin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Blue pea flower (Clitoria ternatea).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Structural change of delphinidin-3-glucoside with increasing pH. Path (A,B) shows the transformation of flavylium ion to carbinol or pseudo base. Path (A,C) shows the transformation of flavylium ion to quinoidal base. Path (A,C) shows the structural alteration responsible for the blue colour formation in blue pea flower anthocyanins.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Biosynthesis of ternatins.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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