title: Dehydrated Basella alba Fruit Juice as a Novel Natural Colorant: Pigment Stability, In Vivo Food Safety Evaluation and Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism Characterization.
abstract: Flesh of Basella alba L. mature fruits bearing deep-violet juice provides a novel and potential source of natural colorant. To minimize the pigment purification process and warrant safety acceptability, B. alba colorant powder (BACP) was prepared using mature fruits through a practical batch preparation and subjected to fundamental pigment characterization, food safety assessment and bio-function evaluation. Yield of the dehydrated B. alba colorant powder (BACP) was 37 g/kg fresh fruits. Reconstituted aqueous solution of the BACP exhibited an identical visible spectrum (400-700 nm) as that of fresh juice. Color of the solution (absorbance at 540 nm) was stable in a broad pH ranged from 3 to 8 and enhanced by co-presence of calcium and magnesium ions, while was rapidly bleached by ferrous and ferric ions. For in vivo food safety evaluation, ICR mice were daily gavage administered with BACP up to 1000 mg/kg body weight for 28 days. Organ weight determination, serum biochemical analysis and histopathological examination of hearts, livers, lungs and kidneys revealed no obvious health hazard. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of BACP was characterized in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. BACP exerted potent anti-inflammatory activity by down-regulation of inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-12 and the blockage of IκB kinase (IKK)/IκB/nuclear factor-κ B (NFκB) activation cascade. These results supported that BACP may serve as a beneficial alternative of natural food colorant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, 60004, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fu-Long
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, 60004, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Robin Y-Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, 60004, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Graduate Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei-Cheng
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, 60004, Taiwan, Republic of China.|National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huey-Jiun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, 60004, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Department of Food Nutrition, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan 71703, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li-Jung
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, 60004, Taiwan, Republic of China. smlin00@mail.ncyu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Shu-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003890:Desiccation; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005511:Food Handling; D059022:Food Safety; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D000067030:Fruit and Vegetable Juices / Q000032:analysis*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D011208:Powders / Q000737:chemistry; D000067996:RAW 264.7 Cells; D064028:Tracheophyta / Q000737:chemistry*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011208:Powders; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D015232:Dinoprostone
keywords: Anti-inflammatory activity; Basella alba fruits; Food safety; Natural colorant