Antioxidant effect of anthocyanin on enzymatic and non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation.

In vitro enzymatic and non-enzymatic polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation was significantly inhibited in a dose dependent manner by purified anthocyanin, a deep-red colour pigment from carrot cell culture. The kinetics showed that anthocyanin is a non-competitive inhibitor of lipid peroxidation. Anthocyanin has been found to be a potent antioxidant compared to classical antioxidants such as butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA), butylated hydroxy toulene (BHT) and alpha tocopherol. This natural agent, in addition to imparting colour to the food, might prevent autooxidation of lipids as well as lipid peroxidation in biological systems.