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Review
. 2023 May 31;15(11):2541.
doi: 10.3390/polym15112541.

A Systematic Review of Butterfly Pea Flower (Clitoria ternatea L.): Extraction and Application as a Food Freshness pH-Indicator for Polymer-Based Intelligent Packaging

Nur Nabilah Hasanah  1 , Ezzat Mohamad Azman  1 , Ashari Rozzamri  1 , Nur Hanani Zainal Abedin  1 , Mohammad Rashedi Ismail-Fitry  1   2
Affiliations
Review

A Systematic Review of Butterfly Pea Flower (Clitoria ternatea L.): Extraction and Application as a Food Freshness pH-Indicator for Polymer-Based Intelligent Packaging

Nur Nabilah Hasanah et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

The butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea L.) (BPF) has a high anthocyanin content, which can be incorporated into polymer-based films to produce intelligent packaging for real-time food freshness indicators. The objective of this work was to systematically review the polymer characteristics used as BPF extract carriers and their application on various food products as intelligent packaging systems. This systematic review was developed based on scientific reports accessible on the databases provided by PSAS, UPM, and Google Scholar between 2010 and 2023. It covers the morphology, anthocyanin extraction, and applications of anthocyanin-rich colourants from butterfly pea flower (BPF) and as pH indicators in intelligent packaging systems. Probe ultrasonication extraction was successfully employed to extract a higher yield, which showed a 246.48% better extraction of anthocyanins from BPFs for food applications. In comparison to anthocyanins from other natural sources, BPFs have a major benefit in food packaging due to their unique colour spectrum throughout a wide range of pH values. Several studies reported that the immobilisation of BPF in different polymeric film matrixes could affect their physicochemical properties, but they could still effectively monitor the quality of perishable food in real-time. In conclusion, the development of intelligent films employing BPF's anthocyanins is a potential strategy for the future of food packaging systems.

Keywords: Clitoria ternatea L.; anthocyanin; food freshness; intelligent packaging; pH-responsive indicator; ultrasonic extraction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 4
Figure 4
The non-conventional extraction processes of BPF.
Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram for article selection process based on the methodology stated [12].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Variation structure of the butterfly pea flower: (a) normal corollas; (b) multiple layered corollas.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The main forms of anthocyanins at varying pH [6].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Fabrication of BPF–polymer-based pH indicator film.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Typical freshness indicator system applied to food.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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