Anthocyanins stability of açaí: a brief review

Abstract

Anthocyanins are natural dyes present in fruits and vegetables, responsible for the colors orange, red, blue, violet and magenta of plants. With the increase in population demand for a more natural and healthy diet, this type of dye has become the target of several studies, with the objective of replacing synthetic dyes in processed products and stored on shelf. Among the fruits with high levels of anthocyanins, açaí, a fruit typical of Brazil, has great potential for viability, due to the wide offer in the country, for its international popularity and nutritional value. The biggest challenge encountered in the task of replacing synthetic dyes with natural ones is the low stability of anthocyanins. These can be highly influenced by the pH of the medium, direct contact with light, ambient temperature, the availability of oxygen, and other factors. So, the present work aims to systematize scientific information about the use of anthocyanins from the açaí fruit as a natural food coloring, focusing on the main problems found in the literature regarding the stability of anthocyanins present in the fruit.