Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from <i>Phytolacca americana</i> L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese Formulation
In response to consumer demand for more sustainable and health-conscious products, the food sector is increasingly shifting towards the use of natural additives. Pokeweed (<i>Phytolacca americana</i> L.) is a medicinal plant that contains valuable biologically active compounds, including...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Ionuț Dumitru Veleșcu Ioana Cristina Crivei Andreea Bianca Balint Vlad Nicolae Arsenoaia Alexandru Dragoș Robu Florina Stoica Roxana Nicoleta Rațu |
| author_facet | Ionuț Dumitru Veleșcu Ioana Cristina Crivei Andreea Bianca Balint Vlad Nicolae Arsenoaia Alexandru Dragoș Robu Florina Stoica Roxana Nicoleta Rațu |
| author_sort | Ionuț Dumitru Veleșcu |
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| description | In response to consumer demand for more sustainable and health-conscious products, the food sector is increasingly shifting towards the use of natural additives. Pokeweed (<i>Phytolacca americana</i> L.) is a medicinal plant that contains valuable biologically active compounds, including betacyanins, which serve as its red pigments, along with phenolic acids, flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds, and others. <i>Phytolacca americana</i> (<i>P. americana</i>) is a plant renowned for its bioactive compounds, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. This study investigates the potential of betalain pigments extracted from the berries of <i>P. americana</i> as a natural colorant for cheese formulation. The impact of these pigments on the color attributes, sensory qualities, and physicochemical and phytochemical composition of the cheeses was systematically evaluated. The <i>Phytolacca americana</i> (PA) powder demonstrated significant levels of total polyphenols (111.95 ± 1.60 mg GAE/g dw) and antioxidant activity (21.67 ± 0.19 µmol TE/g dw). The incorporation of PA powder increased the physicochemical and phytochemical contents and antioxidant activity in the final product (4.40 ± 0.22 µmol TE/g dw for CPAP1 and 6.11 ± 0.22 µmol TE/g dw for CPAP2). The sensory study revealed that the PA-supplemented cheeses were acceptable. The enhanced cheeses present a distinctive color profile, attracting health-conscious consumers looking for innovative dairy products. The study concludes that PA powder can effectively enhance cheese, producing a phytochemical-enriched product that appeals to health-conscious consumers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-50642062981e4dcc950f7c3c88fa3821 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-50642062981e4dcc950f7c3c88fa38212025-01-10T13:13:38ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-01-011518610.3390/agriculture15010086Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from <i>Phytolacca americana</i> L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese FormulationIonuț Dumitru Veleșcu0Ioana Cristina Crivei1Andreea Bianca Balint2Vlad Nicolae Arsenoaia3Alexandru Dragoș Robu4Florina Stoica5Roxana Nicoleta Rațu6Department of Food Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Food Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Food Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of AgroEconomy, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Food Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, RomaniaIn response to consumer demand for more sustainable and health-conscious products, the food sector is increasingly shifting towards the use of natural additives. Pokeweed (<i>Phytolacca americana</i> L.) is a medicinal plant that contains valuable biologically active compounds, including betacyanins, which serve as its red pigments, along with phenolic acids, flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds, and others. <i>Phytolacca americana</i> (<i>P. americana</i>) is a plant renowned for its bioactive compounds, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. This study investigates the potential of betalain pigments extracted from the berries of <i>P. americana</i> as a natural colorant for cheese formulation. The impact of these pigments on the color attributes, sensory qualities, and physicochemical and phytochemical composition of the cheeses was systematically evaluated. The <i>Phytolacca americana</i> (PA) powder demonstrated significant levels of total polyphenols (111.95 ± 1.60 mg GAE/g dw) and antioxidant activity (21.67 ± 0.19 µmol TE/g dw). The incorporation of PA powder increased the physicochemical and phytochemical contents and antioxidant activity in the final product (4.40 ± 0.22 µmol TE/g dw for CPAP1 and 6.11 ± 0.22 µmol TE/g dw for CPAP2). The sensory study revealed that the PA-supplemented cheeses were acceptable. The enhanced cheeses present a distinctive color profile, attracting health-conscious consumers looking for innovative dairy products. The study concludes that PA powder can effectively enhance cheese, producing a phytochemical-enriched product that appeals to health-conscious consumers.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/1/86<i>Phytolacca americana</i>antioxidant activitypigmentsfood ingredientsfunctional cheese |
| spellingShingle | Ionuț Dumitru Veleșcu Ioana Cristina Crivei Andreea Bianca Balint Vlad Nicolae Arsenoaia Alexandru Dragoș Robu Florina Stoica Roxana Nicoleta Rațu Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from <i>Phytolacca americana</i> L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese Formulation Agriculture <i>Phytolacca americana</i> antioxidant activity pigments food ingredients functional cheese |
| title | Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from <i>Phytolacca americana</i> L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese Formulation |
| title_full | Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from <i>Phytolacca americana</i> L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese Formulation |
| title_fullStr | Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from <i>Phytolacca americana</i> L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese Formulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from <i>Phytolacca americana</i> L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese Formulation |
| title_short | Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from <i>Phytolacca americana</i> L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese Formulation |
| title_sort | valorization of betalain pigments extracted from i phytolacca americana i l berries as natural colorant in cheese formulation |
| topic | <i>Phytolacca americana</i> antioxidant activity pigments food ingredients functional cheese |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/1/86 |
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