Anthocyanins

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Anthocyanins are water soluble pigments that provide color to plants, mainly shades of red, purple and blue. They may be found in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers or fruits of the plant - in short, anywhere. Hundreds of anthocyanidins have been identified, and some of the most common are cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin and petunidin. You can recognize the roots of some common flower names here. The cyan part of the name comes from the Greek word for blue, and cyan is also a complementary color of red.

You may also see the term anthocyanidin. This is basically the same compound without an attached sugar molecule. Therefore an anthocyanidin coupled with a sugar molecule makes an anthocyanin.

Some of the foods that are high in anthocyanins are eggplant, chokeberries, cherries, elderberries, red grapes, red currants, cranberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, oranges, red onions, red wine, strawberries, radishes and purple cabbage.

Anthocyanins in red wine may be partly responsible for the "French paradox", or the low rate of coronary heart disease among red wine drinkers in France and Italy. They may also help prevent stroke and inhibit tumour development. In any case, they are powerful antioxidants. They may also have antiviral and antimicrobial activities. Bilberries are a very potent source of anthocyanins, and the extract is sold as a treatment for eye problems such as poor night vision, macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma.

Incidentally, anthocyanins are the chemical that produces the brilliant red color of leaves in the fall. The green color in the leaves is from chorophyll, which is constantly being synthesized during the growth period of the tree. In the fall the shorter days and cool temperatures cause the leaf to stop producing chlorophyll, and other pigments take over. Carotene in the leaves make them appear a yellowish color, but trees that produce anthocyanins turn a vibrant red. If you want to read a detailed explanation of the chemistry of autumn colors, visit How Stuff Works.

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