This thesis studies the impact of food processing on the stability and antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins in aqueous and real food systems. It investigates the effects of temperature and pH on the stability and antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins in aqueous systems and in real semi-solid and solid food systems including bread and biscuits. The results of this thesis offer food manufacturers valuable guidelines on the production of functional foods containing anthocyanins, helping to reduce anthocyanins loss and achieve a desired amount of anthocyanins in foods with extra health benefits.

This book summarizes the current knowledge of anthocyanins, provides systematic information for future exploration of anthocyanin applications. It focuses on several aspects regarding the studying progression in the field of anthocyanins. The first section of the book provides a brief introduction to the scope and progress on anthocyanins, which is followed by the second section that describes the natural sources, structure, extraction approaches, bioavailability, and current stabilizing approach of anthocyanins. Then in the third part, the book focuses on the industrial processing of anthocyanins in foods by discussing the impact of food processing on anthocyanin structure and composition as well as classical processing techniques on anthocyanin-containing foods, including high-pressure, encapsulation, microwave, and combined application of the above techniques. In the last section of the book, the authors explore the currently most popular application of anthocyanins in improving human health, such as the effect of anthocyanin on vision, metabolism, neural system, cardiovascular system, and cancers. The book will facilitate readers’ understanding of the progress of anthocyanin studies. And it will benefit researchers and graduate students in the fields of natural products, functional food, and nutrition, etc.

This reference work provides comprehensive information about the bioactive molecules presented in our daily food and their effect on the physical and mental state of our body. Although the concept of functional food is new, the consumption of selected food to attain a specific effect existed already in ancient civilizations, namely of China and India. Consumers are now more attentive to food quality, safety and health benefits, and the food industry is led to develop processed- and packaged-food, particularly in terms of calories, quality, nutritional value and bioactive molecules. This book covers the entire range of bioactive molecules presented in daily food, such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, isoflavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C, polyphenols, bioactive molecules presented in wine, beer and cider. Concepts like French paradox, Mediterranean diet, healthy diet of eating fruits and vegetables, vegan and vegetarian diet, functional foods are described with suitable case studies. Readers will also discover a very timely compilation of methods for bioactive molecules analysis. Written by highly renowned scientists of the field, this reference work appeals to a wide readership, from graduate students, scholars, researchers in the field of botany, agriculture, pharmacy, biotechnology and food industry to those involved in manufacturing, processing and marketing of value-added food products.

Anthocyanins are a group of phenolic compounds widely found in nature, occurring in all tissues of higher plants. Currently, there are over 600 identified anthocyanins, and their activity is related to the protection of plants against insect attacks and to the animals attraction for pollination and seed dispersal. Red fruits such as blueberries and cranberries are among the main sources of anthocyanins and can supply large quantities of this compound in a single meal. Several studies have shown the beneficial effects of anthocyanins on health due to its high antioxidant action through neutralising free radicals by the donation of hydrogen atoms. These beneficial effects include, among others, the anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory activities, the protective effect against degenerative and chronic diseases, the risk reduction of cardiovascular diseases, and vision improvement. In addition to discussing the health benefits of anthocyanins, it also discusses different food sources for anthocyanins and the chemical applications.

Anthocyanins are interesting due to their potential health-promoting properties as dietary antioxidants. This book discusses ways of targeting the delivery of these compounds in the body through controlled release.

In recent years there has been an unprecedented expansion of knowledge about anthocyanins pigments. Indeed, the molecular genetic control of anthocyanins biosynthesis is now one of the best understood of all secondary metabolic pathways. There have also been substantial improvements in analytical technology that have led to the discovery of novel anthocyanin compounds. Armed with this knowledge and the tools for genetic engineering, plant breeders are now introducing vibrant new colors into horticultural crops. The food industry has also benefited from the resurgence of interest in anthocyanins. A greater understanding of the chemistry of these pigments has led to improved methods for stabilizing the color of anthocyanins extracts, so that they are more useful as food colorings. Methods for the bulk production of anthocyanins from cell cultures have been optimized for this purpose. Possible benefits to human health from the ingestion of anthocyanin-rich foods have also been a major feature of the recent scientific literature. Anthocyanins are remarkably potent antioxidants, and their ingestion has been postulated to stave off the effects of oxidative stress. These pigments, especially in conjunction with other flavonoids, have been associated with reductions in the incidence and severity of many other non-infectious diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. An industry is developing around anthocyanins as nutritional supplements. Finally, there has been significant progress in our understanding of the benefits of anthocyanins to plants themselves. Originally considered an extravagance without a purpose, anthocyanins are now implicated in multifarious vital functions. These include the attraction of pollinators and frugivores, aposematic defense from herbivores, and protection from environmental stressors such as strong light, UVB, drought, and free radical attacks. Anthocyanins are evidently highly versatile, and enormously useful to plants. This book covers all aspects of the biosynthesis and function of anthocyanins (and related compounds such as proanthocyanidins) in plants, and their applications in agriculture, food products, and human health. Featured areas include their relevance to: * Plant stress * Flower and fruit color * Human health * Wine quality and health attributes * Food colorants and ingredients * Cell culture production systems * The pastoral sector

In this second edition of Natural Food Colorants two new chapters have been added and we have taken the opportunity to revise all the other chapters. Each of the original authors have brought up to date their individual contributions, involving in several cases an expansion to the text by the addition of new material. The new chapters are on the role of biotechnology in food colorant production and on safety in natural colorants, two areas which have undergone considerable change and development in the past five years. We have also persuaded the publishers to indulge in a display of colours by including illustrations of the majority of pigments of importance to the food industry. Finally we have rearranged the order of the chapters to reflect a more logical sequence. We hope this new edition will be greeted as enthusiastically as the first. It remains for us, as editors, to thank our contributors for undertaking the revisions with such thoroughness and to thank Blackie A&P for their support and considerable patience. G. A. F. R. J. D. R. Contributors Dr G . . Brittori Department of Biochemistry, University of Liverpool, PO Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK Professor F. J. Francis Department of Food Science, College of Food and Natural Resources, University of Massa chusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA Dr G. A. F. Hendry NERC Unit of Comparative Plant Ecology, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK Mr B. S.

This text is a comprehensive reference covering the chemistry, physiology, chemotaxonomy, biotechnology and food technology aspects of the anthocyanins. Topics discussed include types of anthocyanins, structural transformations, colour stabilization and intensification factors, biosynthesis and intensification factors, biosynthesis, analysis and functions of anthocyanins. An in-depth review of the literature discussing anthocyanins of fruits, cereals, legumes, roots, tubers, bulbs, cole crops, oilseeds, herbs, spices, and minor crops is included as well

Part I: Fundamentals of ultrasound This part will cover the main basic principles of ultrasound generation and propagation and those phenomena related to low and high intensity ultrasound applications. The mechanisms involved in food analysis and process monitoring and in food process intensification will be shown. Part II: Low intensity ultrasound applications Low intensity ultrasound applications have been used for non-destructive food analysis as well as for process monitoring. Ultrasonic techniques, based on velocity, attenuation or frequency spectrum analysis, may be considered as rapid, simple, portable and suitable for on-line measurements. Although industrial applications of low-intensity ultrasound, such as meat carcass evaluation, have been used in the food industry for decades, this section will cover the most novel applications, which could be considered as highly relevant for future application in the food industry. Chapters addressing this issue will be divided into three subsections: (1) food control, (2) process monitoring, (3) new trends. Part III: High intensity ultrasound applications High intensity ultrasound application constitutes a way to intensify many food processes. However, the efficient generation and application of ultrasound is essential to achieving a successful effect. This part of the book will begin with a chapter dealing with the importance of the design of efficient ultrasonic application systems. The medium is essential to achieve efficient transmission, and for that reason the particular challenges of applying ultrasound in different media will be addressed. The next part of this section constitutes an up-to-date vision of the use of high intensity ultrasound in food processes. The chapters will be divided into four sections, according to the medium in which the ultrasound vibration is transmitted from the transducers to the product being treated. Thus, solid, liquid, supercritical and gas media have been used for ultrasound propagation. Previous books addressing ultrasonic applications in food processing have been based on the process itself, so chapters have been divided in mass and heat transport, microbial inactivation, etc. This new book will propose a revolutionary overview of ultrasonic applications based on (in the authors’ opinion) the most relevant factor affecting the efficiency of ultrasound applications: the medium in which ultrasound is propagated. Depending on the medium, ultrasonic phenomena can be completely different, but it also affects the complexity of the ultrasonic generation, propagation and application. In addition, the effect of high intensity ultrasound on major components of food, such as proteins, carbohydrates and lipids will be also covered, since this type of information has not been deeply studied in previous books. Other aspects related to the challenges of food industry to incorporate ultrasound devices will be also considered. This point is also very important since, in the last few years, researchers have made huge efforts to integrate fully automated and efficient ultrasound systems to the food production lines but, in some cases, it was not satisfactory. In this sense, it is necessary to identify and review the main related problems to efficiently produce and transmit ultrasound, scale-up, reduce cost, save energy and guarantee the production of safe, healthy and high added value foods.

This book summarizes recent advances in the chemistry, bioactivity, nutrition, and functional aspects of dietary phytochemicals, as well as the health and functional aspects of foods rich in phytochemicals. Consisting of forty-four chapters, it discusses the different chemical types of phytochemicals in our diets and food and presents data collected from animal or human experiments that are directly related to human health. Each chapter covers the chemistry, epidemiological study, bioavailability, bioactivity (animal experiments) function in humans and safety, as well as products on the market. Moreover, the more than 200 figures make it easy to grasp the main findings in each area.