Mishra Gayatri, Dash Sasmita Priyadarsini, Mahapatra Subrat Kumar, Swain Dhaneswar, Rout Gyana Ranjan
Institute of Biological Chemistry, The Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
The Department of Vegetable Science, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Physiol Plant. 2025 Mar-Apr;177(2):e70168. doi: 10.1111/ppl.70168.
Plant pigments are the natural source of color perceived by the human senses. They have captivated researchers to explore their structural, physical, and chemical properties, synthesis mode, and physiological significance. They are secondary metabolites in plants metabolism, growth and regulation, photosynthesis, and defense. Chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and betalains are the major classes of natural colors contributing color shades to textiles, foods, and cosmetics. The bioactive properties of these compounds are used to apply the compounds as pharmaceuticals to treat chronic degenerative diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders. This review discusses classification, biosynthesis, physiological and metabolic activities, commercial applications of plant pigments, and knowledge gaps in pigment identification and application prospects. The review discusses developments in technologies such as non-encapsulation to preserve the unstable properties of pigment extracts for commercial use and transporter genes involved in synthesizing essential pigments. However, additional research is required to gain insight into the candidate gene for orchestrating stress responses and the potential for engineering stress tolerance in various crops.
植物色素是人类感官所感知颜色的天然来源。它们吸引了研究人员去探索其结构、物理和化学性质、合成方式以及生理意义。它们是植物新陈代谢、生长与调节、光合作用及防御过程中的次生代谢产物。叶绿素、类胡萝卜素、花青素和甜菜碱是为纺织品、食品和化妆品提供色泽的主要天然色素类别。这些化合物的生物活性特性被用于将其作为药物来治疗诸如高血压、糖尿病、癌症和心血管疾病等慢性退行性疾病。本综述讨论了植物色素的分类、生物合成、生理和代谢活动、商业应用以及色素鉴定方面的知识空白和应用前景。该综述还讨论了诸如非封装等技术的发展，以保存色素提取物的不稳定特性以供商业使用，以及参与合成必需色素的转运蛋白基因。然而，需要进行更多研究以深入了解协调应激反应的候选基因以及在各种作物中进行抗逆性工程改造的潜力。
