{"id":162946,"date":"2024-06-07T15:37:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T21:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=162946"},"modified":"2024-12-10T17:10:19","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T23:10:19","slug":"purple-maize-pigment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/health\/purple-maize-pigment\/","title":{"rendered":"The Natural Pigment in Maize that can Help Treat Obesity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Natural pigments have become increasingly popular in recent years as artificial dyes have been associated with harmful effects on our health<\/a> and the environment<\/a>. Especially in the pharmaceutical, textile, and food sectors, its high demand has increased its market value, and it is estimated that by 2032, it could reach almost 10 billion dollars<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, natural pigments are a promising option to replace synthetic ones with biological properties<\/strong> that can help prevent and treat different conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Mexico, we have a great variety of vegetables and organisms that can serve as sources of natural pigments<\/strong>,\u201d says Diego Luna-Vital<\/a>, research professor at the Healthy Food Unit<\/a> of the Institute for Obesity Research<\/a> at Tec de Monterrey, in an interview with TecScience<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this in mind, the expert has dedicated much of his career to extracting and characterizing natural compounds<\/a> that can be used as additives, colorants,<\/strong> and organic food ingredients<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, together with his team, he extracted anthocyanins from purple corn- a group of water-soluble plant pigments\u2212 which help create natural dyes<\/strong> of reddish tones<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These pigments act as antioxidants, so blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries \u2212that contain them naturally\u2212 are recommended as some of the best foods to maintain a healthy brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe obtain a purple powder<\/strong> that turns red when added to acid food,\u201d explains Luna-Vital, who points out that the products to which they plan to add it are drinks, yogurt, cream cheese and gelatin, to name a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only could the dye<\/strong> help increase consumer acceptance of food, but it could also help treat metabolic conditions<\/strong> such as obesity<\/a><\/strong> and type 2 diabetes<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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