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Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine Research Article 5 min read

Betalains: Multifunctional Medicinal Bio-pigments

Parisa Rahimzadeh-Karvansara and Ali Shalizar-Jalali*
* Corresponding author
ISSN: 2578-4986  10.23880/jonam-16000129  Received: May 03, 2018  Published: May 17, 2018
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Keywords
&amp lt p&amp gt Betalains Betanin Plant Pigment Inflammation Oxidative Stress&amp lt /p&amp gt
Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">Betalains are vacuolar N-heterocyclic highly bioactive pigments found in plants of about 17 families in the order Caryophyllales. It has been reported that betalain preparations from different plant parts are safe for consumption and several in vitro and in vivo studies have disclosed a wide range of pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic and hepatoprotective properties for betalains. It seems that betalains can be potent safe medicinal bio-pigments due to having several pharmacological activities as well as biosafety. However, further studies are still needed to determine the long-term safety of betalains administration particularly in clinical trials and explore the precise mechanisms of action</p>

Introduction

Betalains are vacuolar N-heterocyclic highly bioactive pigments found in plants of about 17 families in the order Caryophyllales [1, 2, 3]. Betalain family members are categorized as red-violet-colored betacyanin pigments or yellow-orange-colored beta xanthin pigments [4]. It has been reported that betalain preparations from different plant parts are safe for consumption and several in vitro and in vivostudies have disclosed a wide range of pharmacological activities for betalains [5, 6, 7].

Antioxidant properties

It has been shown that betalains can exhibit significant cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress-induced cellular damages [6]. Accordingly, it has been revealed that betanin and betanidin, two betalain metabolites, can reduce cytochrome C oxidase-related linoleate damage and H2O2-activated metmyoglobin and free iron inducedlipid membrane oxidation [8]. It has also been demonstrated that betacyanin sattenuate D-galactose- induced neurotoxicity in mice throughantioxidant defense Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine

system restoration along with lipid peroxidation reduction [9]. Further, it was found that betanin provides protection against H2O2-and ONOO-induced DNA damages through free radicals scavenging and betalains inhibit oxidative stress via paraoxonase 1,an antioxidant enzyme produced in the liver, transactivation [10, 11].

Anti-inflammatory activities

A growing body of evidence illustrates that betalains show anti-inflammatory functions through interfering with pro-inflammatory signaling cascades [5]. In a parallel manner, it has been indicated that betanin may have nephroprotective effects against paraquat-induced acute renal injuries in rats via inflammatory reactions inhibition [12]. Additionally, betalains have also been shown to noticeably suppressin vitroexpressionof cyclooxygenase-2, an important enzyme converting arachidonic acid to leukotrienes andprostaglandins, which are chemical mediators of inflammation [13]. Widening the scope it has been reported previously that betalain-rich extract reduces osteoarthritis-associated inflammation [14].

Anti-tumor effects

Reportedly, it has been clarified that betalains exhibit antiproliferative activities through angiogenesis inhibition as well as apoptosis induction [15]. Moreover, previous findings particularly in human cell lines including pancreatic, breast and prostate cancer cell lines have suggested betalains as promising agents for chemotherapy strategies promotion [16].

Hepatoprotective and anti-diabetic functions

It has been shown that betalains can exert hepatoprotection against N-nitrosodiethylamine and carbon tetrachloride as well as 7, 12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene hepatotoxicities through phase II enzyme quinine reductase expression elevation and hepatic tissue oxidant/antioxidant balance improvement [16, 17, 18]. Furthermore, previous studies have proposed betalains as potent anti-diabetic compounds to counteracthyperglycemia-related complications [19, 20].

Conclusion

Collectively, betalains appear to be potent safe medicinal bio-pigments due to having several pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti- inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic and hepatoprotective properties. However, further studies are still needed to determine the long-term safety of betalains administration particularly in clinical trials.

References

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  3. Lee CH, Wettasinghe M, Bolling BW, Ji LL, Parkin KL (2005) Betalains, phase II enzyme-inducing components from red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) extracts. Nutr Cancer 53(1): 91-103.
  4. Ninfali P, Angelino D (2013) Nutritional and functional potential of Beta vulgaris cicla and rubra. Fitoterapia 89: 188-199.
  5. Khan MI (2016) Plant betalains: safety, antioxidant activity, clinical efficacy, and bioavailability. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 15(2): 316-30.
  6. Clifford T, Howatson G, West DJ, Stevenson EJ (2015) The potential benefits of red beetroot supplementation in health and disease. Nutrients 7(4): 2801-2822.
  7. Zielińska-Przyjemska M, Olejnik A, Dobrowolska- Zachwieja A, Grajek W (2009) In vitro effects of beetroot juice and chips on oxidative metabolism and apoptosis in neutrophils from obese individuals. Phytother Res 23(1): 49-55.
  8. Kanner J, Harel S, Granit R (2001) Betalains-a new class of dietary cationized antioxidants. J Agric Food Chem 49(11): 5178-5185.
  9. Wang CQ, Yang GQ (2010) Betacyanins from Portulacaoleracea L. ameliorate cognition deficits and attenuate oxidative damage induced by D-galactose in the brains of senescent mice. Phytomedicine 17(7): 527-532.
  10. Sakihama Y, Maeda M, Hashimoto M, Tahara S, Hashidoko Y (2012) Beetroot betalain inhibits peroxynitrite-mediated tyrosine nitration and DNA strand cleavage. Free Radic Res 46(1): 93-99.
  11. Esatbeyoglu T, Wagner AE, Motafakkerazad R, Nakajima Y, Matsugo S, et al. (2014) Free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of betanin: Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine electron spin resonance spectroscopy studies and studies in cultured cells. Food Chem Toxicol 73: 119- 126.
  12. Tan D, Wang Y, Bai B, Yang X, Han J (2015) Betanin attenuates oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction in kidney of paraquat-treated rat. Food Chem Toxicol 78: 141-6.
  13. Vidal PJ, López-Nicolás JM, Gandía-Herrero F, García- Carmona F (2014) Inactivation of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase by natural betalains and semi- synthetic analogues. Food Chem 154: 246-254.
  14. Pietrzkowski Z, Nemzer B, Spórna A, Stalica P, Tresher W, et al. (2010) Influence of betalin-rich extract on reduction of discomfort associated with osteoarthritis. New Med 14(1): 12-17.
  15. Zhang Q, Pan J, Wang Y, Lubet R, You M (2013) Beetroot red (betanin) inhibits vinyl carbamate- and benzo (a) pyrene-induced lung tumorigenesis through apoptosis. Mol Carcinog 52(9): 686-691.
  16. Szaefer H, Krajka-Kuźniak V, Ignatowicz E, Adamska T, Baer-Dubowska W (2014) Evaluation of the effect of beetroot juice on DMBA-induced damage in liver and mammary gland of female Sprague-Dawley rats. Phytother Res 28(1): 55-61.
  17. Kujawska M, Ignatowicz E, Murias M, Ewertowska M, Mikołajczyk K, et al. (2009) Protective effect of red beetroot against carbon tetrachloride- and N- nitrosodiethylamine-induced oxidative stress in rats. J Agric Food Chem 57(6): 2570-2575.
  18. Wettasinghe M, Bolling B, Plhak L, Xiao H, Parkin K (2002) Phase II enzyme-inducing and antioxidant activities of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) extracts from phenotypes of different pigmentation. J Agric Food Chem 50(23): 6704-6709.
  19. Wootton-Beard PC, Brandt K, Fell D, Warner S, Ryan L (2014) Effects of abeetroot juice with high neobetanin content on the early-phase insulin response in healthy volunteers. J Nutr Sci 3: e9.
  20. Lugo-Radillo A, Delgado-Enciso I, Peña-Beltrán E (2012) Betanidin significantly reduces blood glucose levels in BALB/c mice fed with an atherogenic diet. Nat Prod Bioprospect 2(4): 154-155.
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@article{parisa2018,
  title   = {Betalains: Multifunctional Medicinal Bio-pigments},
  author  = {Parisa Rahimzadeh-Karvansara and Ali Shalizar-Jalali},
  journal = {Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine},
  year    = {2018},
  volume  = {2},
  number  = {3},
  doi     = {10.23880/jonam-16000129}
}
Parisa Rahimzadeh-Karvansara and Ali Shalizar-Jalali (2018). Betalains: Multifunctional Medicinal Bio-pigments. Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.23880/jonam-16000129
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Betalains: Multifunctional Medicinal Bio-pigments
AU  - Parisa Rahimzadeh-Karvansara and Ali Shalizar-Jalali
JO  - Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine
PY  - 2018
VL  - 2
IS  - 3
DO  - 10.23880/jonam-16000129
ER  -