Main Article Content
Abstract
Natural colorants derived from plant sources have gained substantial attention as a result of rising consumer demand for safe, health-promoting, and environmentally sustainable alternatives to synthetic food dyes. Blueberries and bilberries (Vaccinium spp.) are abundant anthocyanin sources, a class of water-soluble polyphenolic pigments responsible for their characteristic blue-to-purple coloration. This review comprehensively summarizes the botanical classification, cultivation history, production systems, and physicochemical characteristics of blueberries, with a focus on anthocyanin composition, stability, and analytical profiling. Factors influencing color expression, including cultivar variation, pH, metal complexation, and processing conditions, are discussed. The extraction, identification, and characterization of blueberry anthocyanin’s using spectrophotometric, chromatographic, and mass spectrometric techniques are evaluated critically. Furthermore, the technological applicability of blueberry-derived pigments as natural food colorants and functional ingredients is examined. Beyond their coloring properties, blueberry anthocyanin’s exhibit strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardio protective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and anticancer activities, contributing to their expanding function in foods and dietary supplements. Evidence Studies carried out in vivo, on humans, and in vitro demonstrate the possible health advantages of regular blueberries. Consumption. Overall, blueberries represent a promising natural source of colorants with added therapeutic value, supporting their application in food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries.