Stabilization of elderberry anthocyanins by means of microencapsulation and ion-pair formation

Abstract

In the view of an ever increasing consumer preference for natural additives in general, including coloring additives, anthocyanins represent an interesting alternative for reasons including their inherent color, high occurence in plant kingdom and intoxicity. The main drawback in the use of those natural colorants is their low stability. ain this work, microencapsulation, a process based on confining the active species inside a microscopic capsule, which can confer protection against labile factors such as light, heat and oxidation was applied.

A further aim was to find out if color stabilization can be achieved by way of complexation between anthocyanin molecules and an anioic compound.