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Food Colorants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Colorants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2022) | Viewed by 5800

Special Issue Editors

Food Phytochemicals Department, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), University Campus Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
Interests: chlorophylls; carotenoids; metabolomics; mass spectrometry; coloring foodstuff; bioavailability; cell absorption
Food Phytochemistry Department, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Campus Universitario Building 46, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
Interests: chlorophylls; carotenoids; lipidomics; in vitro digestion; inaccessibility

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The term “food colorant” is, at present, a broad term that includes, besides the classical families of natural pigments (chlorophylls, carotenoids, betalains, anthocyanins, etc.) and synthetic dyes, a new diverse group of natural extracts globally termed as “coloring foodstuff” or even “coloring foods”. Therefore, not only industry and policymakers but also researchers are focusing their efforts on the search for new sources of food colorants as well as novel methods to stabilize the color. In fact, there is an exponentially growing trend in the number of scientific publications dealing with food colorants in the last five years. Most of these investigations included the development of new characterization, determination, and detection methods along with the development of more sophisticated and accurate equipment and techniques. In addition, consumers are highly aware of the nutritional impact of the consumption of additives. For that reason, there is an important interest to investigate the functional properties of food colorants and even more, to unravel how these color compounds can be metabolized. At this point, food colorants could be perceived in the future as a health source.

Prof. Dr. María Roca López-Cepero
Dr. Antonio Pérez-Gálvez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • new food colorings
  • food colorant determination
  • natural food colorants
  • synthetic food colorants
  • new obtaining methods
  • food colorants characterization
  • food colorant bioavailability
  • food colorants and health

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 777 KiB  
Article
HPLC–MS2 Analysis of Chlorophylls in Green Teas Establishes Differences among Varieties
by Marta Herrera, Isabel Viera and María Roca
Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6171; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27196171 - 20 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1456
Abstract
Green teas are nonfermented teas, the quality of which is measured by the green color. However, this category encompasses a high number of tea varieties that differ in cultivation and processing. For example, leaf or stem/bubble tea, plants cultivated under a light or [...] Read more.
Green teas are nonfermented teas, the quality of which is measured by the green color. However, this category encompasses a high number of tea varieties that differ in cultivation and processing. For example, leaf or stem/bubble tea, plants cultivated under a light or shadow regime, powdered or unpowdered tea, etc. These variables determine the different qualities among green teas (Matcha, Sencha, Gyokuro, etc.) and consequently their different values on the market. Our purpose is to determine if these variables can exert an influence on the chlorophyll profile and to establish a characteristic profile for specific green teas. With such an aim, we analyzed the chlorophyll profiles of 6 different green tea varieties via HPLC-hr ESI/APCI–MS2 and identified up to 17 different chlorophyll compounds. For the first time, 132-hydroxy-chlorophylls, 132-hydroxy-pheophytins, and 151-hydroxy-lactone-pheophytins have been identified in green teas. Shadow teas (Matcha and Sencha) and light-regimen green teas can be statistically differentiated by the total chlorophyll content and the a/b ratio. However, only Matcha tea contains a higher proportion of chlorophylls a and b among the green tea varieties analyzed, justifying the higher quality and price of this variety. Other chlorophyll metabolites (pheophytins, pyropheophytins, and oxidized chlorophylls) are indicative of the various processing and storage conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Colorants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)
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11 pages, 1140 KiB  
Article
Insights on the Bioaccessibility of Natural Pigments from Diatom Chaetoceros calcitrans
by Tatiele C. do Nascimento, Pricila N. Pinheiro, Andrêssa S. Fernandes, Patrícia A. Caetano, Eduardo Jacob-Lopes and Leila Q. Zepka
Molecules 2022, 27(10), 3305; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27103305 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1268
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and chlorophylls from the biomass of microalgae Chaetoceros calcitrans. The samples were submitted to an in vitro digestion protocol, and the compounds were determined by HPLC-PDA-MS/MS. A total of 13 compounds were identified [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and chlorophylls from the biomass of microalgae Chaetoceros calcitrans. The samples were submitted to an in vitro digestion protocol, and the compounds were determined by HPLC-PDA-MS/MS. A total of 13 compounds were identified in all tests. After in vitro digestion, the relative bioaccessibility of carotenoids and chlorophylls ranged from 4 to 58%. The qualitative profile of carotenoids reflected the initial sample, with all-E-zeaxanthin (57.2%) being the most bioaccessible compound, followed by all-E-neochrome (31.26%), the latter being reported for the first time in the micellar fraction. On the other hand, among the chlorophylls only pheophytin a (15.01%) was bioaccessible. Furthermore, a chlorophyll derivative (Hydroxypheophytin a’) was formed after in vitro digestion. Considering all compounds, xanthophylls (12.03%) and chlorophylls (12.22%) were significantly (p < 0.05) more bioaccessible than carotenes (11.22%). Finally, the considerable individual bioaccessibilities found, especially for zeaxanthin, demonstrate the bioactive potential of this bioresource. However, the large reduction in the totality of compounds after in vitro digestion suggests that additional technological strategies should be explored in the future to increase the efficiency of micellarization and enhance its bioactive effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Colorants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)
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20 pages, 29053 KiB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Juices from Red-Fleshed Apples after Production with Different Dejuicing Systems and Subsequent Storage
by Annette Wagner, Stefan Dussling, Stefano Scansani, Peter Bach, Michael Ludwig, Christof B. Steingass, Frank Will and Ralf Schweiggert
Molecules 2022, 27(8), 2459; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27082459 - 11 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2387
Abstract
In this work, two vintages (2019 and 2020) of red-fleshed ‘Weirouge’ apples were processed with the innovative spiral filter press technology to investigate juice production in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere. After pressing, a more brilliant red color and appreciably higher amounts of oxidation-sensitive constituents [...] Read more.
In this work, two vintages (2019 and 2020) of red-fleshed ‘Weirouge’ apples were processed with the innovative spiral filter press technology to investigate juice production in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere. After pressing, a more brilliant red color and appreciably higher amounts of oxidation-sensitive constituents (ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, and colorless (poly)phenols) were seen in spiral filter pressed juices compared to those produced with conventional systems (horizontal filter press and decanter). In a subsequent stability study (24 weeks storage at 4, 20, and 37 °C), the color and phenolic compounds were monitored and differences in the juices produced with the different pressing-systems were widely maintained during the storage period. The analyses of the anthocyanins and colorless (poly)phenols were conducted by UHPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-HR-MS/MS and UHPLC-DAD. The spiral filter press emerged as a promising technology for the production of juices with a more attractive color and a better retention of oxidation-sensitive constituents during processing and storage compared to conventional juices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Colorants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)
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