Microencapsulation by spray-drying of anthocyanin pigments from Corozo ( Bactris guineensis) fruit.

The anthocyanins of Bactris guineensis fruit were isolated with the aid of high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and preparative HPLC, and their chemical structures were elucidated by using spectroscopic methods. Among the identified pigments, cyanidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside were characterized as major constituents (87.9%). Peonidin-3-rutinoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-(6-O-malonyl)glucoside, and cyanidin-3-sambubioside were present in minor amounts. Four anthocyanin ethanolic extracts (AEEs) were obtained by osmotic dehydration and Soxhlet extraction and physicochemically characterized. The composition of anthocyanins was monitored by HPLC-PDA. The extracts with the highest anthocyanin content were subjected to the spray-drying process with maltodextrin. The so-obtained spray-dried powders were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and found to consist of spherical particles <50 microm in size. The anthocyanin composition was similar to that of the fruit. The microencapsulated powders were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), revealing that they are quite stable until 100 degrees C. Storage stability tests of microcapsules showed that the release of anthocyanin pigments follows pseudo-first-order kinetics and that the process rate is increased by temperature and humidity. The most suitable conditions for storage were below 37 degrees C and <76% relative humidity, respectively.

Chemical analysis and screening as anticancer agent of anthocyanin-rich extract from Uva Caimarona ( Pourouma cecropiifolia Mart.) fruit.

The anthocyanin-rich extract (ARE) of the fruit from Pourouma cecropiifolia , a tropical plant native to the Amazon region, showed moderate cytotoxicity toward different cancer cell lines when evaluated by MTT assays. This extract was fractionated using Sephadex LH-20 chromatography to obtain three fractions (F1-F3), the composition of which was analyzed by HPLC-PDA and LC-ESI/MS. F1 was composed primarily of the monomeric anthocyanins delphinidin-3-O-beta-glucopyranoside, cyanidin-3-O-beta-glucopyranoside, and cyanidin-3-O-(6''-malonyl)glucopyranoside. F2 contained the isomeric flavonols quercetin 3-O-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-galactopyranoside and quercetin 3-O-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-glucopyranoside, the structures of which were confirmed by (1)H and (13)C NMR. F3 contained polymeric pigments, which were analyzed using tandem ESI/MS with an ion trap-TOF. The structures of two proanthocyanidin and two flavanol-anthocyanin condensed pigments were suggested on the basis of their MS(n) fragmentation patterns. After cell viability assays were performed, only fraction F3 showed a cell growth-inhibitory effect similar to the one found for ARE. F3 significantly reduced the viability of HEp-2 larynx, MKN-45 gastric carcinoma, and MCF-7 breast cancer cells; in contrast, the pure compounds did not show promising cytotoxicity toward the cancer cells evaluated.