Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries

Natural pigments, or natural colorants, are frequently utilized in the food industry due to their diverse functional and nutritional attributes. Beyond their color properties, these pigments possess several biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, a...

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Main Authors: Ayu Masyita, Gemala Hardinasinta, Ayun Dwi Astuti, Firdayani Firdayani, Dian Mayasari, Aki Hori, Ira Nur Ainun Nisha, Firzan Nainu, Takayuki Kuraishi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1507108/full
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author Ayu Masyita
Gemala Hardinasinta
Ayun Dwi Astuti
Firdayani Firdayani
Dian Mayasari
Aki Hori
Ira Nur Ainun Nisha
Firzan Nainu
Takayuki Kuraishi
author_facet Ayu Masyita
Gemala Hardinasinta
Ayun Dwi Astuti
Firdayani Firdayani
Dian Mayasari
Aki Hori
Ira Nur Ainun Nisha
Firzan Nainu
Takayuki Kuraishi
author_sort Ayu Masyita
collection DOAJ
description Natural pigments, or natural colorants, are frequently utilized in the food industry due to their diverse functional and nutritional attributes. Beyond their color properties, these pigments possess several biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, and neuroprotective effects, as well as benefits for eye health. This review aims to provide a timely overview of the potential of natural pigments in the pharmaceutical, medical, and food industries. Special emphasis is placed on emerging technologies for natural pigment extraction (thermal technologies, non-thermal technologies, and supercritical fluid extraction), their pharmacological effects, and their potential application in intelligent food packaging and as food colorants. Natural pigments show several pharmaceutical prospects. For example, delphinidin (30 µM) significantly inhibited the growth of three cancer cell lines (B16-F10, EO771, and RM1) by at least 90% after 48 h. Furthermore, as an antioxidant agent, fucoxanthin at the highest concentration (50 μg/mL) significantly increased the ratio of glutathione to glutathione disulfide (p < 0.05). In the food industry, natural pigments have been used to improve the nutritional value of food without significantly altering the sensory experience. Moreover, the use of natural pH-sensitive pigments as food freshness indicators in intelligent food packaging is a cutting-edge technological advancement. This innovation could provide useful information to consumers, increase shelf life, and assist in evaluating the quality of packaged food by observing color variations over time. However, the use of natural pigments presents certain challenges, particularly regarding their stability and higher production costs compared to synthetic pigments. This situation underscores the need for further investigation into alternative pigment sources and improved stabilization methods. The instability of these natural pigments emphasizes their tendency to degrade and change color when exposed to various external conditions, including light, oxygen, temperature fluctuations, pH levels, and interactions with other substances in the food matrix.
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Pharmacology
spelling doaj-art-cb3f08514ab645d0b34252d8f6771b732025-08-20T02:26:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-01-011510.3389/fphar.2024.15071081507108Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industriesAyu Masyita0Gemala Hardinasinta1Ayun Dwi Astuti2Firdayani Firdayani3Dian Mayasari4Aki Hori5Ira Nur Ainun Nisha6Firzan Nainu7Takayuki Kuraishi8Research Center for Vaccine and Drugs, Research Organization for Health, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong Bogor, IndonesiaDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, IndonesiaFaculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, IndonesiaResearch Center for Vaccine and Drugs, Research Organization for Health, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong Bogor, IndonesiaDepartment of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, IndonesiaFaculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, JapanDepartment of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Muslim Maros University, Maros, IndonesiaDepartment of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, IndonesiaFaculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, JapanNatural pigments, or natural colorants, are frequently utilized in the food industry due to their diverse functional and nutritional attributes. Beyond their color properties, these pigments possess several biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, and neuroprotective effects, as well as benefits for eye health. This review aims to provide a timely overview of the potential of natural pigments in the pharmaceutical, medical, and food industries. Special emphasis is placed on emerging technologies for natural pigment extraction (thermal technologies, non-thermal technologies, and supercritical fluid extraction), their pharmacological effects, and their potential application in intelligent food packaging and as food colorants. Natural pigments show several pharmaceutical prospects. For example, delphinidin (30 µM) significantly inhibited the growth of three cancer cell lines (B16-F10, EO771, and RM1) by at least 90% after 48 h. Furthermore, as an antioxidant agent, fucoxanthin at the highest concentration (50 μg/mL) significantly increased the ratio of glutathione to glutathione disulfide (p < 0.05). In the food industry, natural pigments have been used to improve the nutritional value of food without significantly altering the sensory experience. Moreover, the use of natural pH-sensitive pigments as food freshness indicators in intelligent food packaging is a cutting-edge technological advancement. This innovation could provide useful information to consumers, increase shelf life, and assist in evaluating the quality of packaged food by observing color variations over time. However, the use of natural pigments presents certain challenges, particularly regarding their stability and higher production costs compared to synthetic pigments. This situation underscores the need for further investigation into alternative pigment sources and improved stabilization methods. The instability of these natural pigments emphasizes their tendency to degrade and change color when exposed to various external conditions, including light, oxygen, temperature fluctuations, pH levels, and interactions with other substances in the food matrix.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1507108/fullnatural pigmentsextractionantioxidantanticancerfood colorants
spellingShingle Ayu Masyita
Gemala Hardinasinta
Ayun Dwi Astuti
Firdayani Firdayani
Dian Mayasari
Aki Hori
Ira Nur Ainun Nisha
Firzan Nainu
Takayuki Kuraishi
Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries
Frontiers in Pharmacology
natural pigments
extraction
antioxidant
anticancer
food colorants
title Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries
title_full Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries
title_fullStr Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries
title_full_unstemmed Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries
title_short Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries
title_sort natural pigments innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries
topic natural pigments
extraction
antioxidant
anticancer
food colorants
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1507108/full
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