Copigmentation and Encapsulation of Anthocyanins as Alternatives to increase their Stability

Abstract

Introduction: The food industry is looking for alternatives to synthetic dyes and anthocyanins are suitable replacements given their color characteristics and potential health benefits. However, their application is limited by their stability in various food matrices, processes and storage conditions and has motivated the extensive development of copigmentation and encapsulation techniques.

Objective: To define copigmentation and encapsulation methods as alternatives to increase the stability of anthocyanins in food systems.

Methods: A review of copigmentation and encapsulation as stabilizing methods for unstable compounds and characterization of anthocyanins was carried out. The following electronic databases were consulted: Google Scholar, SciELO and Elsevier. The descriptors anthocyanins, copigmentation and encapsulation were used.

Conclusions: The combined use of appropriate copigments and encapsulation agents can simultaneously intensify red color, increase encapsulation efficiency and stability of anthocyanins based on model systems and makes it necessary to address more complex systems in which a larger number of factors are taken into account.