Nature's palette: the search for natural blue colorants

J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Jul 16;62(28):6498-511. doi: 10.1021/jf501419q. Epub 2014 Jul 8.

Abstract

The food and beverage industry is seeking to broaden the palette of naturally derived colorants. Although considerable effort has been devoted to the search for new blue colorants in fruits and vegetables, less attention has been directed toward blue compounds from other sources such as bacteria and fungi. The current work reviews known organic blue compounds from natural plant, animal, fungal, and microbial sources. The scarcity of blue-colored metabolites in the natural world relative to metabolites of other colors is discussed, and structural trends common among natural blue compounds are identified. These compounds are grouped into seven structural classes and evaluated for their potential as new color additives.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alkaloids
  • Animals
  • Bacteria / chemistry
  • Color
  • Flavonoids
  • Food Coloring Agents / analysis*
  • Food Coloring Agents / chemistry
  • Fungi / chemistry
  • Light
  • Pigments, Biological / analysis*
  • Pigments, Biological / chemistry
  • Plants / chemistry*
  • Quinones
  • Spectrum Analysis

Substances

  • Alkaloids
  • Flavonoids
  • Food Coloring Agents
  • Pigments, Biological
  • Quinones