BOUGAINVILLEA (Bougainvillea spectabilis) FLOWER EXTRACT AS AN

ALTERNATIVE FOOD COLOR

Iver Chilette Sarmiento Alimuc,

Jenica Francheska Salvador Ramos

Researchers

Professor Marijane Queja

Research Adviser

Regional Science High School for Region 2

Camp Samal, Arcon, Tumauini, Isabela

2021-2022
 BOUGAINVILLEA (Bougainvillea spectabilis) FLOWER EXTRACT AS AN

ALTERNATIVE FOOD COLOR

Iver Chilette Sarmiento Alimuc,

Jenica Francheska Salvador Ramos

Abstract

Bougainvillea is known as a red garden flower that contains betacyanin, a betalain

pigment. Recently, betacyanin is becoming an increasingly popular active ingredient as a dye,

especially in the textile and food industries. Consumption of edible flowers forms a new trend in

human nutrition. Therefore, the determination of bioactive compound content in their petals

presents essential tasks for their evaluation as a natural source of antioxidants for the human

diet. In this study, solvent extraction was conducted to investigate the factors contributing to

pigment extraction from the flowers’ bracts.

Multiple red synthetic food dyes are carcinogenic and cause internal problems when

ingested (Kobylewski & Jacobson, 2012). In turn, alarmed consumers are now considering and

have switched to a healthier option where natural food dyes are used. Some food industries are

Keeping up with the demand and are now seeking alternative food dyes.

Using organoleptic analysis of the Control Group (gelatine, pancake, and low-fat milk)

and the Experimental Group (gelatine, pancake, and low-fat milk with Bougainvillea food dye),

the researchers will determine whether the use Bougainvillea food dye. The reaction, the

duration of the expiry, and the physical appearance are to be evaluated with the Bougainvillea

Spectabilis dye. Thus, this study shows a realistic strategy for using natural dyes in foods for

human consumption.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Title Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Lists of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Collection and Processing of Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Extraction of Pigment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Preparation of the Experimental Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Data Gathering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Characteristics of the Bougainvillea Food Dye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Characteristics of the Gelatine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Characteristics of the Pancake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Characteristics of the Milk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
 Lists of tables

1. Organoleptic analysis of the meals

 Introduction

Synthetic pigments dominate the food industry, though it produces a vibrant color the

industrial discharge harms our environment. Not only does it cause aesthetic damage to our

water bodies but it also prevents penetration of light through water causing a reduction in the

rate of photosynthesis and dissolved oxygen levels affecting the aquatic biota (Devadiga &

Ahipa 2020; Haule et al., 2019).

Multiple synthetic dyes have been found to bring in health complications. Red 1: causes

liver cancer in animals; Red 2: a possible carcinogen and induced bladder and other tumors in

mice while only bladder tumors in rats; Red 3: carcinogen in animals; Red 4: caused high levels

of adrenal cortex damage on dogs; Red 32: caused damages to the internal organs and could

be a weak carcinogen; Red 40: often contaminated with aniline which could be toxic by skin

contact, if inhaled, or ingested (Kobylewski & Jacobson, 2012).

Because of the alarming effects, concerned consumers actively avoid products with

synthetic food dye and buy ones made out of natural pigments. In response to consumers, food

industries are now finding natural alternatives for the synthetic food dye they currently use.

Bougainvillea is a commonly known garden flower that produces a red pigment that

contains betacyanin, a betalain pigment. Betalains are water-soluble nitrogen-containing

vacuolar pigments, consisting of red to red-violet betacyanins (Rodriguez-Amaya. 2019).

Bougainvillea spectabilis bracts is still an underexploited source of betalains and phenolic

compounds because there is still a lack of information about the stability of Bougainvillea as a

pigment despite its containing betacyanin. This paper aims to bring light to the use of

Bougainvillea spectabili as an alternative to synthetic food dyes.

5
 Methodology

Materials and Equipment

● 73mL Hot Water - To make the Bougainvillea food dye

● 30g Powdered Bougainvillea - The primary component of the food coloring.

● 100mL Low-fat milk - Experimental group and Control group

● 8.4g Gelatine - Experimental group and Control group

● 118mL Pancake batter - Experimental group and Control group

● 4mL Lemon - To adjust the pH value of the water.

● Containers - To store the experimental groups.

● Coffee filter - To filter the solid parts of the food dye.

● Pot - To boil the bougainvillea extract to turn into the dye.

● Scale - To calculate the amount of wet and dry components required.

● Food Processor - To grind the bougainvillea brats into a fine powder.

● Popsicle stick - To be used as an alternative for a stirring rod.

Experimental Layouts

I. Collection and Processing of Samples:

The bougainvillea flowers were collected and thoroughly rinsed before exposing them to

sunlight until fully dried. Separate the bougainvillea bracts from the flower and grind

them in a food processor to form a fine powder sample that will be the primary

component of the food dye, then, preserve the fine powder sample in the freezer to keep

it fresh (Ghasemi et al., 2011).

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II. Extraction of Pigment:

Extraction of natural dye pigments from their raw dyestuffs is a solid-liquid extraction

process. The rate of mass transfer decreases as the concentration of dye in the solvent

increases until equilibrium is reached. Thereafter, there is no longer mass transfer of dye

from the plant material to the solvent. One of the steps to improve the mass transfer

during the extraction of dyes is to investigate the parameter conditions suitable for

efficient extraction (Pradesh, 2014).

To ensure the dye was free of harmful chemical substances, distilled water was chosen

to be the solvent (Kaur, 2014). The solvent would then be boiled to 100°C then the fine

powder is added to the mixture, with every 73mL of water, there should be 30g of the

fine powder sample. The mixture is stirred every 10 minutes, during the 30 minutes that

it is being boiled. Finally, filter the dye mixture with a coffee filter and let it cool.

III. Preparation of the Experimental Group:

Prepare the containers needed for the experiment. The ratio of the meals to food dye is

15:1. To create the gelatine solution, the water to gelatine powder solution should be

6:1. To create the pancake batter mixture, follow the instructions stated in the box of

“Maya: the original hotcake mix”. The kind of milk to be used is low-fat milk.

IV. Data Gathering:

The pigmentation of the bougainvillea flower dye will be evaluated for 6 days and every

2 days the researchers will be taking a picture of the prepared meals. Then evaluate the

scent, texture, and appearance of each meal.

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 V. Data Analysis:

The images of the experimental group from days 0 - 6 were compared to assess if there

were any signs of change in color per meal. Then the food was examined for any

indication of mold, foul smell, or any unappealing physical changes that the food dye

could’ve caused.

Results and Discussion

Characteristics of the Bougainvillea Food dye: The extraction of the food dye from the dried

and grounded Bougainvillea bracts created a burgundy-like color, a deep red with a hint of

purple; due to the dye’s concentration. The food dye was fluid, similar to the fluidity of the

artificial food dye. The food dye has an even color throughout, and no discoloration was found.

Characteristics of the Gelatine: The gelatin presents a translucent raspberry red with a hint of

pink and a shiny appearance like the control group. The consistency of the gelatine is the same

compared to the control gelatine. After observing for 6 days, the researchers found no

difference in the gelatine.

Characteristics of the Pancake: The pancake exhibits a pastel pink color due to the initial

color of the pancake batter. The pancake with dye has a different texture compared to the one

without.

Characteristics of the Milk: The only difference between the milk with dye and the milk without

dye is their colors and scents.

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Table 1: Organoleptic analysis of the meals

Overall
Scent Texture Appearance
Acceptability

Jelly with dye 8.33 ± 1.729 10 ± 0 10 ± 0 9.44 ± 1.091

Jelly without dye 8.67 ± 1.307 9 ± 1.132 6.67 ± 1.729 8.11 ± 1.427

Pancake with dye 7 ± 2.263 10 ± 0 10 ± 0 9 ± 1.96

Pancake without dye 9 ± 1.132 8.67 ± 1.307 8.33 ± 1.729 8.67 ± 0.379

Milk with dye 6 ± 1.132 10 ± 0 10 ± 0 8.67 ± 2.613

Milk without dye 9.67 ± 0.653 8.67 ± 1.729 8.67 ± 1.307 9 ± 0.653

Data is expressed as mean ± SD

The results in Table (1), revealed that there isn't much of a difference between the foods

in the control and experimental groups except for the pancakes and the milk. They are pretty

evenly matched in overall acceptability. Although the experimental group was significantly more

appealing due to its color, all of it received excellent comments, except for the pancakes and the

milk, which were described to have an “odd” but tolerable scent; which could mean that the food

dye doesn’t do well with products that may contain dairy. Overall, the bougainvillea maintained

the experimental group's food stability.

9
 Conclusion

The organoleptic test shows that there was an increase in votes in appearance when the

food item is colored. The vibrant color made the meals more appealing and appetizing to the

consumers. However, it was raised that there was a negative reaction to the scent of the milk

and pancake, the milk having the lowest score of all, one thing these have in common is having

dairy as part of its ingredients; this could mean that Bougainvillea food dye doesn’t do well with

dairy products. Texture-wise the items with food dye received better scores than their

counterparts. Overall, the addition of the Bougainvillea food dye to the meals was well received

by consumers, and ⅔ of the items are preferred.

References

Devadiga D and Ahipa TN 2020. Betanin: A red-violet pigment chemistry and

applications. Chemistry and Technology of Natural and Synthetic Dyes and Pigments 10.

5772/intechopen.88 939.

Ghasemi, E., F. Raofie and N.M. Najafi, 2011. Application of Response Surface

Methodology and Central Composite Design for The Optimisation Of Supercritical Fluid

Extraction Of Essential Oils From Myrtus Communis L . Leaves. Food Chemistry, 126(3):

1449-1453.

10
 Kaur, M., 2014. Adsorption Study of Betacyanin of Fibre. URP Thesis. Maran, J.P., B.

Priya, and C.V. Nivetha, 2015. Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Natural

Pigments from Bougainvillea Glabra Flowers, 63: 182-189.

Kobylewski, S., & Jacobson, M. F. (2012). Toxicology of food dyes. International Journal

of Occupational and Environmental Health, 18(3), 220–246.

https://doi.org/10.1179/1077352512z.00000000034

Pradesh, A., 2014. Mass Transfer Enhancement Through Optimized Extraction of A

Natural Dye From Bougainvillea Glabra Juss. Bracts. Indian Journal of Natural Products and

Resources, 5: 332-337.

Rodriguez-Amaya, DB. (2018). Reference Module in Food Science || Betalains. ,

(), –. doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.21607-7

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 Appendices

APPENDIX A

Documentation

Image 1.1 Collection and mage 1.2 Collection and Processing Image 1.3 Collection and

Processing of Samples of Samples Processing of Samples

Image 1.4 Collection and mage 1.5 Collection and Processing Image 1.6 Collection and

Processing of Samples of Samples Processing of Samples

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 I

Image 2.1 Extraction of Pigment mage 2.2 Extraction of Pigment Image 2.3 Extraction of Pigment

Image 2.4 Extraction of Pigment mage 2.5 Extraction of Pigment Image 3 Preparation of the

Experimental Group

Image 4.1 Data Gathering mage 4.2 Data Gathering Image 4.3 Data Gathering

13