Health Benefits of Plants Pigments: The Magic of Colour

Studies related to plant pigments are one of the oldest areas of work in plant science. Nature produces a variety of compounds appropriate for food colouring called pigments that absorb some wavelengths of light and reflect others. The improvement of dietary values of crops to supplement the diet with nutrients plays an important role in the treatment of many diseases and to improve the quality of life. From an economic perspective, the most obvious contribution of plant pigments is with regard to consumer choice of fresh fruits, vegetables and floricultural products. The impact of the pigments is often much wider i.e., they are of economic importance as flavour and colour components of different food components, teas, wine and other beverages, as natural food colorants, as plant defence agents and for amelioration of damaging UV light. This article presents a general overview of the major plant pigment groups and their diversity and function in generating the range of colours observed in plants and impact on human health.