School of Life Science, Jiangsu Key laboratory of Phylogenomics & Comparative Genomics, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China.
Molecules. 2019 Aug 24;24(17):3078. doi: 10.3390/molecules24173078.
Betalains are applicable to many aspects of life, and their properties, characteristics, extraction and biosynthesis process have been thoroughly studied. Although betalains are functionally similar to anthocyanins and can substitute for them to provide pigments for plant color, it is rare to study the roles of betalains in plant responses to adverse environmental conditions. Owing to their antioxidant capability to remove excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants and humans, betalains have attracted much attention due to their bioactivity. In addition, betalains can also act as osmotic substances to regulate osmotic pressure in plants and play important roles in plant responses to adverse environmental conditions. The study of the physiological evolution of betalains is almost complete but remains complicated because the evolutionary relationship between betalains and anthocyanins is still uncertain. In this review, to provide a reference for the in-depth study of betalains compared with anthocyanins, the biochemical properties, biosynthesis process and roles of betalains in response to environmental stress are reviewed, and the relationship between betalains and anthocyanins is discussed.
甜菜碱可应用于生活的多个方面，其性质、特点、提取和生物合成过程已得到深入研究。虽然甜菜碱在功能上与花色苷相似，可以替代它们为植物颜色提供色素，但很少研究甜菜碱在植物应对不利环境条件中的作用。由于其抗氧化能力可清除植物和人体中的过量活性氧（ROS），甜菜碱因其生物活性而备受关注。此外，甜菜碱还可以作为渗透物质调节植物渗透压，在植物应对不利环境条件中发挥重要作用。甜菜碱的生理进化研究几近完备，但仍较为复杂，因为甜菜碱与花色苷之间的进化关系尚不确定。在本综述中，为了与花色苷的深入研究进行比较，本文综述了甜菜碱的生化特性、生物合成过程及其在应对环境胁迫中的作用，并讨论了甜菜碱与花色苷之间的关系。
