Anthocyanin Extraction from Plant Tissues: A Review

Anthocyanins have gathered the attention of the scientific community mostly due to their vast
range of possible applications. They have been the center point of the research in many different
fields, among which is food development, where their innate coloring, antioxidant capacity and
biological potential open interesting venues to the development of new food additives and
functional foodstuffs. As the range of application grows, so does the necessity to obtain these
compounds and since they are naturally occurring, the most common way to obtain anthocyanins
is to extract them from different plant sources, such as fruits and flowers. Several efforts have
been made to develop methods that allow for better extraction yields and higher purification rates
therefore this review aims to compile the information regarding extraction and purification
procedures in a comprehensive manner.