Betalains: pigments from the dragon fruit for coloring your food
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29105/idcyta.v10i1.133Keywords:
betalaínas, fruto del dragón, colorante natural, pigmentos, aprovechamiento de subproductos agroindustrialesAbstract
Color is one of the most important sensory attributes of foods and to preserve this quality, the industry uses synthetic dyes that have been associated with the development of certain diseases, which is why there is a growing interest in developing dyes of natural origin. such as betalains, pigments found in the pulp and peel of dragon fruit, a fruit native from Mexico that has become popular worldwide thanks to its high nutritional value and high content of bioactive compounds. This review generally addresses the colorants used in the food industry. Subsequently, it presents the case of betalains as a natural dye and dragon fruit as a source of obtaining these compounds. Finally, briefly, the extraction of these pigments from dragon fruit as an alternative for its use as a commercial dye.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Alma Ramos, Lucía Abadía, Anaberta Cardador, Silvia Amaya

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