title: Chemical and Antioxidant Properties of Betalains.
abstract: Betalains are vacuolar pigments composed of a nitrogenous core structure, betalamic acid. Betalamic acid condenses with imino compounds (cyclo-DOPA/its glucosyl derivates) or amino acids/derivates to form violet betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins. These pigments have gained the curiosity of scientific researchers in recent decades. Their importance was increased not only by market orientation toward natural colorants and antioxidants but also by their safety and health promoting properties. To date, about 78 betalains have been identified from plants of about 17 families. In this review, all of the identified pigments are presented, followed by a comprehensive discussion of their structure-activity relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal, Food and Halieutic Resources, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia , 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, 1082 Tunis, Tunisia.|Laboratory of Materials, Molecules and Applications, Preparatory Institute for Scientific and Technical Studies , BP 51, 2070 La Marsa, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imen
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9492-7899
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Belhadj Slimen
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal, Food and Halieutic Resources, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia , 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, 1082 Tunis, Tunisia.|Laboratory of Materials, Molecules and Applications, Preparatory Institute for Scientific and Technical Studies , BP 51, 2070 La Marsa, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Taha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Najar
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Materials, Molecules and Applications, Preparatory Institute for Scientific and Technical Studies , BP 51, 2070 La Marsa, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Manef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abderrabba
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D050858:Betalains / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D010936:Plant Extracts; D050858:Betalains
keywords: antioxidant activity; betanin; caryophyllales; fluorescence; indicaxanthin