Betalains are a class of water-soluble pigments found in a significant number of plants,
including the beetroot and many other plants in the Caryophyllales order. The name "betalain" comes from Beta vulgaris,
the scientific name for the beetroot, which is the most common source of betalains.
Betalains are divided into two categories:
Betacyanins: These pigments range in colour from violet to red. Betanin is the most common betacyanin and is responsible for the
deep red colour of beets.
Betaxanthins: These pigments are yellow to orange. Indicaxanthin is a common betaxanthin found in plants like beets and Swiss chard.
Betalains play several roles in the plants where they are found:
Pigmentation -
Betalains provide bright red to violet and yellow colours, playing a vital role in attracting pollinators.
Protection - Betalains help protect the plant from UV
radiation damage and are involved in plant response to stress.
Betalains are mutually-exclusive with anthocyanins, another group of pigments that provide colouration to many other plants.
In addition to their roles in plants, betalains are valued for their potential health benefits.
They have antioxidant properties, meaning they can protect cells from damage by harmful free radicals.
They may also have anti-inflammatory effects and may contribute to detoxification processes in the body.
As such, they are often used as natural food colourants and in nutritional supplements.
Examples of some fruits and vegetables that contain betalains are given below:
Beets -
One of the richest sources of betalains, especially betacyanins, which give them their characteristic deep red color.
Beets also contain betaxanthins.
Swiss Chard - Both the red and yellow varieties of Swiss chard contain betalains.
Red Swiss chard is rich in betacyanins, while yellow Swiss chard contains betaxanthins.
Prickly Pear - lso known as cactus fruit, prickly pears contain both
betacyanins and betaxanthins. The exact amount and type depend on the variety, with red-purple varieties containing more
betacyanins and yellow-orange varieties containing more betaxanthins.
Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) - This tropical fruit, especially the red-fleshed variety,
contains betacyanins.
Golden Beets - These contain betaxanthins, which provide their yellow color.
Rhubarb - The red stalks of rhubarb contain betacyanins.
The extraction process, including the solvents and methods used, can influence the concentration and types of betalains present in the final extract.
It is often the case that a balance needs to be found between fully-extracting all betalains while also ensuring that the compounds that are
obtained are of a high quality and not degraded.
At Celignis we have extensive experience in the design and optimisation of extraction protocols for a wide variety of chemical constituents from
many different biomass types. If needed we can also work on processes to separate and purify the target compounds.
Click here to read more about Celignis's Bioprocess Development Services for the extraction of
chemicals from biomass.
Celignis to Sponsor and Present at Major Biochar Event
The event takes place on May 3rd at Carrick-on-Shannon
We are pleased to announce that, on May 3rd, Celignis will be presenting and exhibiting at the National Biochar and Carbon Products Conference 2023, which is taking place in Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrm, Ireland.
This conference is being organised under the auspices of the Interreg Northwest Europe-funded THREE C Project, entitled 'Creating and sustaining Charcoal value chains to promote a Circular Carbon economy in NWE Europe'.
The conference will highlight both Irish stakeholders who are currently working in the biochar and carbon products sector, but also partners from the THREE C project (covering Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, France and Wales, as well as Ireland) who have interesting stories and products to share.
Read about the wide variety of analysis packages we have for biochar
Click here to read about the different analysis packages that Celignis offers for the evaluation on biochars. These analyses cover properties relevant to a wide variety of applications, including soil amendment, carbon sequestration, bioenergy, and biomaterials.
For a short period we are offering two TGA analyses for the price of one!
To celebrate the arrival of our thermogravimetric (TGA) equipment, we are offering, for a limited time period, two TGA analyses for the price of one. Click here to read more about TGA analyses at Celignis and to see the various packages on offer.
To avail of this special offer please mention the code (TGA-AUGUST) in an email or when placing an order via the Celignis Database.
This 5 minute presentation was given at the recent IBioIC conference
Celignis recently exhibited at IBioiC's annual conference, held in Glasgow on June 6-7.
During that event Lalitha, Celignis's CIO, gave a short 5 minute presentation on the EnXylaScope collaborative EU research project that Celignis is involved in.
You can view the presentation below or here on YouTube.
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