Chapter 9: Pigment in Cereals: Extraction, Quantifications, and Characterization

Cereals are an excellent source of nutrients and are enriched with natural pigments that impart characteristic color to cereals. Cereal pigments are different colors, such as green, yellow, purple, black etc. and are chemically classified as anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophyll. These color pigments are associated with various health benefits due to their antioxidant, anticancer, anti-aging and anti-degenerative potential. The consumption of pigment-enriched cereals has been associated with the alleviation of chronic diseases. Cereal pigments can be extracted using conventional solvent-based extraction or modern extraction methods such as ultrasonication, microwave assisted extraction and pulsed electric field. Cereal pigments can be characterized by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. Although cereal are rich source of nutrients and various color pigments, several cereals are underutilized in developing countries. The utilization of pigmented cereals in traditional food products will increase the nutritional value and improve food quality and functionality.