Red beet pigment composition

Abstract

A betalain pigment composition from red beet plants including pre-harvest foliar spraying of an ethylene-generating compound and the use of the obtained betalain pigment composition for coloring of an edible product

1 . A betalain pigment composition from red beet plants, comprising betanin, betalain and vulgaxanthin and obtained by foliar spraying of red beet plants with an ethylene-generating compound;
 wherein the betalain pigment composition has a betanin to vulgaxanthin ratio increased by at least 5% higher (w/w), preferably at least 10% higher (w/w), even more preferably at least 15% higher (w/w) as compared to a betalain pigment composition obtained without the use of an ethylene-generating compound;   wherein the betalain pigment composition has a betalain to total soluble solids (TSS) ratio increased by at least 5% higher (w/w), preferably at least 10% higher (w/w), even more preferably at least 15% higher (w/w) as compared to a betalain pigment composition obtained without the use of ethylene-generating compound; and/or   wherein the betalain pigment composition has a betanin pigment content which is at least 5% higher (w /w), preferably at least 10% higher (w/w), even more preferably at least 15% higher (w/w) as compared to a betalain pigment composition obtained with out the use of ethylene-generating compound.   
     
     
         2 . The betalain pigment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the betanin to vulgaxanthin ratio is front 5:1 to 20:1, preferably from 5.5: to 15:1. 
     
     
         3 . The betalaiin pigment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the ethylene-generating is 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid; (2-chloroethyl)methylbis-(phenylmethoxy)silane; (2-chloroethyl)tris(2-methoxyethoxy)silane, or 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         4 . The betalain pigment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of ethylene-generating compound applied at each spraying in step (i) is from 20 g egc ha −1  to 5000 g egc ha −1 . 
     
     
         5 . The betalain pigment composition according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the foliar spraying of ethylene-generating compound is done at least 3 times before the harvesting the red beet plants; and   wherein harvesting of the red beet plants is done later than 6 weeks after the red beet plants were planted.   
     
     
         6 . An edible product comprising of the betalain pigment composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . An edible product comprising of the betalain pigment composition of  claim 1 , wherein the edible product is selected from a food product, a feed product, a pharmaceutical product, and a therapeutic product.