Exploring pH-Responsive Color Changes of Anthocyanin Extracts from Four Selected Plants as Potential Natural Food Deterioration Indicators
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22437/ifstj.v9i1.46450Keywords:
anthocyanin extract, antibacterial, antioxidants, pH-indicator, food deteriorationAbstract
Anthocyanins are natural pigments known for their pH sensitivity, resulting in distinct chemical structures and color changes across different pH levels. This study investigated the potential of anthocyanin-rich extracts from four plant sources, namely Antidesma bunius (L.) Spreng fruit extract (AE), Syzygium cumini fruit extract (SE), Hibiscus x archeri Wats. flower extract (HE), and Etlingera hemisphaerica flower extract (EE) as natural indicators for food deterioration. The extracts were evaluated for total anthocyanin content (TAC), antioxidant activity (as DPPH radical scavenging), antibacterial activity (via disk diffusion), and pH sensitivity based on visible color changes across a pH range of 2–12. Among the tested samples, HE exhibited the highest TAC (88.89 ± 1.40 mg C3G/g extract) and antioxidant activity (25.46 ± 1.62 mg AEAC/g extract). HE (50%) demonstrated promising antibacterial inhibition against A. hydrophila, S. typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, with inhibition zones of 9.07 ± 0.49 mm, 9.04 ± 1.12 mm, and 10.19 ± 0.80 mm, respectively. Moreover, HE demonstrated clear, visually perceptible color transitions across pH levels, supported by variations in ΔE and oHue. The ΔE value increased from 3 at pH 3 to 9.55 at pH 8, while oHue value shifted from 36.63 o to 345.96o. This significant change is linked to the extract’s clear colour transition, which is red at pH 3-6, purple at pH 7, and red-purple at pH 8. These results demonstrate the HE as a promising candidate for pH indicator of food deterioration monitoring, as evidenced by its sensitivity to pH fluctuation among the tested extracts.
Downloads
References
[1] R. Becerril, C. Nerín, and F. Silva, “Bring some colour to your package: Freshness indicators based on anthocyanin extracts,” Trends Food Sci Technol, vol. 111, pp. 495–505, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2021.02.042.
[2] S. Roy and J. W. Rhim, “Anthocyanin food colorant and its application in pH-responsive color change indicator films,” Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, vol. 61, no. 14, pp. 2297–2325, 2021, doi: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1776211.
[3] N. Oladzadabbasabadi, A. Mohammadi Nafchi, M. Ghasemlou, F. Ariffin, Z. Singh, and A. A. Al-Hassan, “Natural anthocyanins: Sources, extraction, characterization, and suitability for smart packaging,” Food Packag Shelf Life, vol. 33, p. 100872, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.fpsl.2022.100872.
[4] Y. W. Zhao, C. K. Wang, X. Y. Huang, and D. G. Hu, “Anthocyanin stability and degradation in plants,” Plant Signal Behav, vol. 16, no. 12, 2021, doi: 10.1080/15592324.2021.1987767.
[5] B. F. Feitosa, B. L. A. Decker, E. S. de Brito, M. C. Marques, S. Rodrigues, and L. R. B. Mariutti, “Anthocyanins stability theory – Evidence summary on the effects of microencapsulation,” Institution of Chemical Engineers, vol 153, no. 15, pp. 77-86, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.fbp.2025.06.001.
[6] Y. Li, X. Yang, Y. Zou, H. Zhang, Y. Zhou, Q. Zhu, Y. Liu, and Z. Wang, “Effects of different white nanomaterials on pH response ability and physicochemical performance of anthocyanin-loaded carboxymethyl cellulose-polyvinyl alcohol films,” Food Chem X, vol. 25, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.102137.
[7] W. Iswanti, S. Budijanto, and M. Abdullah, “Flavonoid and Antioxidant Activity Analysis of Anthocyanin Black Rice Bran Extract (Abribe) CV Cempo Ireng Origin from Indonesia,” Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, vol. 14, no. 2, 2024, doi: 10.55251/jmbfs.10203.
[8] Y. Liu, Y. Tikunov, R. E. Schouten, L. F. M. Marcelis, R. G. F. Visser, and A. Bovy, “Anthocyanin biosynthesis and degradation mechanisms in Solanaceous vegetables: A review,” Front Chem, vol. 6, 2018, doi: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00052.
[9] V. Schmitzer, R. Veberic, G. Osterc, and F. Stampar, “Color and phenolic content changes during flower development in groundcover rose,” Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, vol. 135, no. 3, pp. 195–202, 2010, doi: 10.21273/jashs.135.3.195.
[10] J. Sun, B. Liu, H. Rustiami, H. Xiao, X. Shen, and K. Ma, “Mapping Asia Plants: Plant Diversity and a Checklist of Vascular Plants in Indonesia,” Plants, vol. 13, no. 16, 2024, doi: 10.3390/plants13162281.
[11] H. Nguyen-Ngoc, T. Le-Thi-Phuong, T. Vu-Van, T. Pham-Ha-Thanh, and T. Nguyen-Huu, “Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review of the Genus Antidesma,” 2024, SAGE Publications Inc. doi: 10.1177/1934578X241247990.
[12] S. Kumar, S. Sharma, V. Kumar, A. Sharma, R. Kaur, and R. Saini, “Jamun (Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels): The conventional underutilized multifunctional plant-an exotic gleam into its food and functional significance,” 2023, Elsevier B.V. doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115873.
[13] S. Riyanti, A. S. Windyaswari, A. K. Syam, Y. Karlina, D. Anjelista, F. Faramayuda, N. Aulia, and J. Ratnawati, “Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Activity of Forest Honje Leaf (Etlingera Hemisphaerica (Blume) R.M. Sm),” dalam IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Institute of Physics, 2022. doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/1104/1/012022.
[14] P. W. Grosvenor, P. K. Gothard, N. C. Mcwdham, A. Suprlono, and D. O. Gray, “Medicinal plants from Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Part 1: Uses,” no. 45, pp. 75-95. 1995.
[15] W. G. Paul, S. Agus, and O. G. David, “Medicinal plants from Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, Part 2: antibacterial and antifungal activity,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, no. 45, pp. 97-111. 1995.
[16] P. Sari, C. H. Wijaya, D. Sajuthi, and U. Supratman, “Colour properties, stability, and free radical scavenging activity of jambolan (Syzygium cumini) fruit anthocyanins in a beverage model system: Natural and copigmented anthocyanins,” Food Chem, vol. 132, no. 4, pp. 1908–1914, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.12.025.
[17] G. Hardinasinta, M. Mursalim, J. Muhidong, and S. Salengke, “Degradation kinetics of anthocyanin, flavonoid, and total phenol in bignay (Antidesma bunius) fruit juice during ohmic heating,” Food Science and Technology (Brazil), vol. 42, pp. 1–11, 2022, doi: 10.1590/fst.64020.
[18] S. Chen, Z. Li, D. Ren, X. Wu, and D. Xu, “Improved sensitivity of freshness indicator based on purple sweet potato anthocyanins through pH optimization and its application in flesh food monitoring during logistics,” Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, vol. 100, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.ifset.2025.103929.
[19] J. Huang, G. Li, Y. Chin, Z. Pei, Q. Yao, D. Li and Y. Hu, “The highly stable indicator film incorporating roselle anthocyanin co-pigmented with oxalic acid: Preparation, characterization and freshness monitoring application,” Food Research International, vol. 173, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113416.
[20] C. Wang, Y. Lu, X. An, Y. Wang, N. Wang, Y. Song, N. Hu and M. Ren, “Preparation, characterization, and application of pH-responsive biodegradable intelligent indicator film based on rose anthocyanins,” Lwt, vol. 200, no. February, p. 116156, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2024.116156.
[21] E. S. de Azevedo and C. P. Z. Noreña, “Anthocyanin-based indicators design by polyelectrolyte complexation: A study on structural and thermodynamic properties, and application for milk freshness assessment,” Food Hydrocoll, vol. 147, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.109389.
[22] G. P. Narayanan, P. Radhakrishnan, P. Baiju, and A. M. S, “Fabrication of Butterfly Pea Flower Anthocyanin-Incorporated Colorimetric Indicator Film Based on Gelatin/Pectin for Monitoring Fish Freshness,” Food Hydrocolloids for Health, vol. 4, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.fhfh.2023.100159.
[23] D. Kaur and O. S. Qadri, “Anthocyanin and phenolic landscape of Syzygium cumini extracts via green extraction,” Food Chem, vol. 472, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.142916.
[24] H. Hussein Rassem, M. Hairul Bin Khamidun, U. Fazara Md Ali, T. Hadibarata, and N. Abdullah Alrabie, “Comprehensive analysis of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of water and methanol extracts of Hibiscus flower,” J King Saud Univ Sci, vol. 36, no. 11, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jksus.2024.103506.
[25] S. D. Tabatabaei, F. Ghiasi, H. Hashemi Gahruie, dan S. M. H. Hosseini, “Effect of emulsified oil droplets and glycerol content on the physicochemical properties of Persian gum-based edible films,” Polym Test, vol. 106, p. 107427, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2021.107427.
[26] H. Manninen, M. Paakki, A. Hopia, and R. Franzén, “Measuring the green color of vegetables from digital images using image analysis,” Lwt, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 1184–1190, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2015.04.005.
[27] N. Chamnansilpa, P. Aksornchu, S. Adisakwattana, T. Thilavech, K. Mäkynen, W. Dahlan and S. Ngamukote, “Anthocyanin-rich fraction from Thai berries interferes with the key steps of lipid digestion and cholesterol absorption,” Heliyon, vol. 6, no. 11, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05408.
[28] L. Xue Mei, A. Mohammadi Nafchi, F. Ghasemipour, A. Mat Easa, S. Jafarzadeh, and A. A. Al-Hassan, “Characterization of pH sensitive sago starch films enriched with anthocyanin-rich torch ginger extract,” Int J Biol Macromol, vol. 164, pp. 4603–4612, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.09.082.
[29] G. C. Vidana Gamage and W. S. Choo, “Hot water extraction, ultrasound, microwave and pectinase-assisted extraction of anthocyanins from blue pea flower,” Food Chemistry Advances, vol. 2, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.focha.2023.100209.
[30] B. A. Teixeira, E. A. Gutiérrez, M. S. S. de Souza, T. C. B. Rigolon, E. Martins, F. L. P. Pessoa, M. C. T. R. Vidigal and P. C. Stringheta, “Design, Optimization, and Modeling Study of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Purple-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes,” Foods, vol. 13, no. 10, 2024, doi: 10.3390/foods13101497.
[31] Netravati, S. Gomez, B. Pathrose, M. Joseph, M. Shynu, and B. Kuruvila, “Comparison of extraction methods on anthocyanin pigment attributes from mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) fruit rind as potential food colourant,” Food Chemistry Advances, vol. 4, no. December 2023, p. 100559, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.focha.2023.100559.
[32] V. H. M. dos Santos, M. M. O. Costa, F. O. Granero, C. C. M. Figueiredo, H. H. Santos, P. J. C. Benevides, N. Nicolau-Junior, P. E. A. Debiagi, L. P. Silva and R. M. G. Silva, “Green biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using anthocyanins-rich extract from Euterpe edulis fruits (AnthocyanOx®): Assessment in vitro of antioxidant and antiglycation activities, and in silico anti-aging activity,” Food and Bioproducts Processing, vol. 151, pp. 189–201, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.fbp.2025.03.017.
[33] P. Schober and L. A. Schwarte, “Correlation coefficients: Appropriate use and interpretation,” Anesth Analg, vol. 126, no. 5, pp. 1763–1768, 2018, doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000002864.
[34] N. P. Ariantari, I. P. Y. A. Putra, N. P. E. Leliqia, P. S. Yustiantara, M. W. Proborini, N. Nugraheni, U. M. Zulfin, R. I. Jenie and E. Meiyanto, “Antibacterial and cytotoxic secondary metabolites from endophytic fungi associated with Antidesma bunius leaves,” J Appl Pharm Sci, vol. 13, no. 7, pp. 132–143, 2023, doi: 10.7324/JAPS.2023.101347.
[35] Y. Yelliantty, R. E. Kartasasmita, S. I. Surantaatmadja, and Y. Rukayadi, “Identification of chemical constituents from fruit of Antidesma bunius by GC-MS and HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS,” Food Science and Technology (Brazil), vol. 42, 2022, doi: 10.1590/fst.61320.
[36] P. Pongnaratorn, P. Kuacharan, V. Kotsuno, N. Pakdee, P. Sriraj, and J. Sattayasai, “In vitro antimicrobial activity of Antidesma bunius extracts on oral pathogenic bacteria,” Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 144–149, 2017, doi: 10.56808/3027-7922.2400.
[37] D. Pertiwi, R. Hartati, E. Julianti, and I. Fidrianny, “Antibacterial and antioxidant activities in various parts of Artocarpus lacucha Buch. Ham. ethanolic extract,” Biomed Rep, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 1–11, 2024, doi: 10.3892/br.2024.1755.
[38] D. Liu, C. Zhang, Y. Pu, S. Chen, L. Liu, Z. Cui and Y. Zhong, “Recent Advances in pH-Responsive Freshness Indicators Using Natural Food Colorants to Monitor Food Freshness,” 2022, MDPI. doi: 10.3390/foods11131884.
[39] Foliatini, S. Wibowo, H. Rochaeni, Suhartini, Fachrurrazie, A. I. Prianditya, P. P. Hadriansyah, N. A. P. Siregar, N. Nurpadilah, P. Alfiani, M. Rahim, and E. Sriwahyuni, “Polyvinyl Alcohol–Red Cabbage Nanofibers as pH-Responsive Freshness Sensors for Advanced Food Packaging Technology,” Makara J Sci, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 234–244, 2024, doi: 10.7454/mss.v28i3.2309.
[40] A. M. Marpaung and B. P. R. Pramesthi, “Effect of pH and added sugar on stability of color, anthocyanin content and phenolic content of Clitoria ternatea, Ipomoea tricolor and Brassica oleracea extracts,” Agriculture and Natural Resources, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 273–278, 2020, doi: 10.34044/j.anres.2020.54.3.06.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Indonesian Food Science and Technology Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
