Abstract: Complexation of anthocyanins to mimic natural
copigmentation process was investigated. Cyanidin-rich extracts from
Zea mays L. ceritina Kulesh. and delphinidin-rich extracts from
Clitoria ternatea L. were used to form 4 anthocyanin complexes,
AC1, AC2, AC3 and AC4, in the presence of several polyphenols and
a trace metal. Characterizations of the ACs were conducted by UV,
FTIR, DSC/TGA and morphological observations. Bathochromic
shifts of the UV spectra of 4 formulas of ACs were observed at peak
wavelengths of about 510-620 nm by 10 nm suggesting complex
formation. FTIR spectra of the ACs indicate shifts of peaks from
1,733 cm-1 to 1,696 cm-1 indicating interactions and a decrease in the
peak areas within the wavenumber of 3,400-3,500 cm-1 indicating
changes in hydrogen bonding. Thermal analysis of all of the ACs
suggests increases in melting temperature after complexation. AC
with the highest melting temperature was morphologically observed
by SEM and TEM to be crystal-like particles within a range of 50 to
200 nm. Particle size analysis of the AC by laser diffraction gave a
range of 50-600 nm, indicating aggregation. This AC was shown to
have no cytotoxic effect on cultured HGEPp0.5 and HGF (all p>
0.05) by MTT. Therefore, complexation of anthocyanins was simple
and self-assembly process, potentially resulting in nanosized particles
of anthocyanin complex.
Abstract: Anthocyanins are natural pigments with effective UV
protection but their topical use could be limited due to their
physicochemical characteristics. An attempt to overcome such
limitations by complexation of 2 major anthocyanin-rich sources, C.
ternatea and Z. mays, has potentiated its use as topical antiinflammatory.
Cell studies indicate no cytotoxicity of the
anthocyanin complex (AC) up to 1 mg/ml tested in HaCaT and
human fore head fibroblasts by MTT. Croton oil-induced ear edema
in Wistar rats suggests an effective dose of 5 mg/cm2 of AC as a
topical anti-inflammatory in comparison to 0.5 mg/cm2 of
fluocinolone acetonide. Niosomal encapsulation of the AC
significantly prolonged the anti-inflammatory activity particularly at
8 h after topical application (p = 0.0001). The AC was not cytotoxic
and its anti-inflammatory and activity was dose-dependent and
prolonged by niosomal encapsulation. It has also shown to promote
collagen type 1 production in cell culture. Thus, AC could be a
potential candidate for topical anti-inflammatory agent from natural
resources.