Study of Prunus spinosa L. fruit epicarp and Lonicera careulea L. fruit: alternative natural colorants with
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abstract
Natural matrices that are rich in anthocyanin compounds are increasingly explored by the food industry
due to their colouring properties. As examples, Prunus spinosa L. and Lonicera careulea L. fruits are
excellent sources of anthocyanins and are, therefore, increasingly explored for their colouring properties
to be applied as food colorants, in addition to providing beneficial properties to the consumer [1,2].
Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the anthocyanin profile (HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS) and the
antioxidant (TBARS and OxHLIA) and antimicrobial properties of the hydroethanolic extract of P.
spinosa fruit epicarp and L. careulea fruit juice.
A high content of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside was found in the juice of L.
caerulea berries and in the hydroethanolic extract of the epicarp of P. spinosa, respectively. As for the
antioxidant activity, in the TBARS assay, the L. caerulea berries showed a higher capacity (IC50 of
29.9±0.3 μg/mL) than the positive control, trolox (IC50 of 139±5 μg/mL). Similarly, the epicarp of P.
spinosa showed the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation, revealing an EC50 value of 204±2 μg/mL.
Regarding the ability to retard oxidative haemolysis, both extracts showed activity not only at 60 min,
but also at 120 min, allowing EC50 values of 145±5 μg/mL and 938±49 μg/mL, respectively, for L.
caerulea, and 296±4 and 509±3 μg/mL, respectively, for P. spinosa. On the other hand, both colouring
extracts revealed great antimicrobial properties. Through this work, it was possible to conclude that L.
caerulea and P. spinosa berries have a high colouring capacity and bioactive potential, being suitable
for the development of new products for food industry.
The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds
FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment
program-contract for C. Pereira and L. Barros contracts and A.K. Molina and M.G. Leichtweis PhD grants (2020.06231.BD and
2020.06706.BD, respectively). To FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through TRANSCoLAB
0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P project; to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational
Program North 2020, within the scope of Project Mobilizador Norte-01-0247-FEDER-024479: ValorNatural®.
