Natural Colorants & Phytochemistry

Plant pigments play a vital role in protecting cells against oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Unique properties of natural  colorants attract their extensive use in our daily life. Natural pigments show physiological activities such as anti-microbial, anti-tumour, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive etc. This fact has been extensively used in preparation of novel therapeutics and preventive measures in health & personal care.

However ...

Synthesis of the novel colorants is very challenging and generally requires hefty chemical input. We want to minimise economic costs and environmental damage caused by pure chemical synthesis developing robust semisynthetic approaches starting from natural plants and their waste. Check our projects below.

Power of Photosynthetic Pigments: Cellular Protection and Antioxidants

Plant bioactives play a vital role in protecting cells against oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Betalains are natural colour pigments responsible for red and yellow colour. Apart from their tinctorial properties, they have demonstrated high radical scavenging potency and been associated with health benefits. However, research into biological mechanisms is scarce. Therefore, this project aims to shed light on the cellular availability of betalains, their potential to modulate cellular redox status and impact on cell signalling processes. Thereby, we aim to identify the effects of individual betalains and interactions with other bioactives which may underlie potential health beneficial properties of betalain rich food.

Algae - a powerful source of sustainable value-added chemicals

Algae is abundant, cheap and green source of various photoactive molecules including carotenoids, porphyrins and proteins. It is naturally produced by Mio tonnes worldwide annually. Besides the algae’s beneficial effects on the ecosystem and successful use as a food supplement, overgrow of the algae is linked to toxin exposure, especially, in calm nutrient-rich waters in warm climates or during the late summer in cooler parts of the world. Thus, utilisation of the algae can offers valuable approach from both ecological and economical perspectives. And this methodology provides a cost-effective isolation of the required macrocycles in bulk with good purity.