Anthocyanins in Mediterranean diet: common and innovative sources

The Mediterranean diet is a nutritional recommendation based on the traditional foods and drinks of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The peculiarity of this diet is represented by a high consumption of olive oil, legumes, cereals, fruit and vegetables, a moderately high consumption of fish and dairy products, a moderate consumption of wine and a low consumption of meat and meat-based produces. The high consumption of fruit and vegetables insures a high intake of phytochemicals, compounds that have long been recognized to play a positive role on human health. Phytochemicals are secondary metabolites that plants synthesize for their ecological interaction with biotic and abiotic factors. Anthocyanins are a class of pigments that cover the deep red to blue spectrum. Scientific research has also been focused on the possible benefits to human health from the ingestion of anthocyanin-rich foods. Anthocyanins are remarkably potent antioxidants and they have been associated with reductions in the incidence and severity of many other non-infectious diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. The chapter covers the biosynthesis and function of anthocyanins in plants but overall their presence in a wide range of Mediterranean food and drinks including their role in human health. At the end the use of innovative food as source of anthocyanins is reported.