Chemical applications of anthocyanins and related compounds. A source of bioinspiration.

Independently of the natural or synthetic origin, flavylium derivatives follow the same network of chemical reactions. Actually, the flavylium cation is stable only at low pH values. Increasing the pH gives rise to the formation of several species: quinoidal bases, hemiketal, cis- and trans-chalcones, and their deprotonated forms. A deep knowledge of the thermodynamics and kinetics of these species is an essential tool to practical applications of these compounds, in particular, in the domain of food chemistry. In this work the network of chemical reactions involving flavylium derivatives is presented, and the respective thermodynamics and kinetics are discussed in detail, including the mathematical expressions and a step-by-step procedure to calculate all of the rate and equilibrium constants of the system. Examples of systems possessing a high or low cis-trans isomerization barrier are shown. Recent practical applications of anthocyanins and related compounds illustrate the potentialities of the flavylium-based family of compounds.