Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 9, 2026
09:46
Synthesis of Plant Phenol-derived Polymeric Dyes for Direct or Mordant-based Hair Dyeing
Published on: December 1, 2016
9.7K
Bioengineered gardenia red-Fe2+ complex: a heat- and pH-stable dual-function clean-label colourant
Ji Sou Lyu1, Yoojung Kim2, Jung-Soo Lee1
1Institute of Control Agents for Microorganisms, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
Food Research International (Ottawa, Ont.)
|March 7, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a stable, natural red food colorant from Gardenia jasminoides. This gardenia red (GR) pigment, when chelated with iron (GR-Fe2+), offers enhanced stability and nutritional benefits, meeting clean-label demands.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Natural Products Chemistry
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Growing demand for clean-label food ingredients necessitates stable natural colorants.
- Existing natural pigments often lack stability under food processing conditions (heat, pH).
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a dual-function natural pigment from Gardenia jasminoides for food applications.
- To enhance the stability and add nutritional value to a natural colorant.
Main Methods:
- Geniposide extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis to yield genipin.
- Reaction of genipin with amino acids (glycine) to form gardenia red (GR).
- Chelation of GR with ferrous sulfate (Fe2+) to create GR-Fe2+.
Main Results:
- Glycine produced the most intense red pigment (GR).
- GR-Fe2+ exhibited >99% chelation efficiency with Fe2+.
- GR-Fe2+ demonstrated superior heat and pH stability compared to GR.
- Iron coordination followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with low activation energy.
Conclusions:
- A bioengineered, heat- and pH-stable, clean-label colorant (GR-Fe2+) was successfully developed.
- The GR-Fe2+ system offers integrated iron delivery functionality.
- This approach addresses limitations of natural pigments in food processing.
