Anthocyanins functionality

Gould, K.S., McKelvie, J., and Markham, K.R., Do anthocyanins function as antioxidants in leaves Imaging of H2O2 in red and green leaves after mechanical injury. Plant Cell Environ., 25, 1261, 2002. 

Chalker-Scott, L., Do anthocyanins function as osmoregulators in leaf tissues, in Anthocyanins in Leaves. Advances in Botanical Research, vol. 37, Gould, K.S. and Lee, D.W., Eds., Academic Press, Amsterdam, 2002, 103. 

Muriel Wheldale Onslow and the Rediscovery of Anthocyanin Function in Plants... 

Hypotheses for anthocyanin function in leaves are remarkably diverse. Perhaps because foliar anthocyanins can be induced in many circumstances by abiotic stressors such as strong light, temperature extremes, drought, UV-B radiation, mechanical wounding, and nutrient deficiencies, as well as biotic stressors such as herbivory attack and fungal and viral infections, the hypotheses for foliar anthocyanins almost invariably involve phytoprotective functions (Table 7.1). Most research in recent years has focused on three of these hypotheses photoprotection, antioxidant activity, and defense. 

Chalker-Scott, L. (2002). Do anthocyanins function as osmoregulators in leaf tissues Advances in Botanical Research, 37, 103-127. 

Hatier, J.-H.B. Gould, K.S. (2009). Anthocyanin function in vegetative organs. In Anthocyanins Biosynthesis, Functions, and Applications (eds K.S. Gould, K.M. Davies C. Winefield), pp. 1-20. Springer, New York. 

Polyphenols are commonly present in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and flowers. Moreover, polyphenols can be found in such products as cocoa, tea, coffee, wine, jam, and chocolate. Polyphenolic compounds are also often applied in cosmetics, medicines, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and in recent years, for the production of functional foods. The food industry offers a variety of new functional products in which the polyphenol content is usually higher than in products of natural origin. Milk enriched with soy isoflavones, chocolate enriched in procyanidins, drinks with higher amounts of anthocyanins, functional drinks enriched with extracts of tea—these are just a few products that are the result of functional foods revolution. On the other hand, the use of synthetic antioxidants in the food industry is of great concern among consumers who seek to limit their intake. Toxicological and nutritional research indicates adverse effect of some synthetic antioxidants used in food. The use of additives in food products, mainly in edible fats, means that more attention should be paid to antioxidants that are derived from natural plant extracts and used as food additives. 

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