Mirabilis Jalapa Flower Extract as Natural Food Dye and Green Cellular Delivery of Nanoparticles

C.R. Rathi; S.N. Suresh

Abstract

Use of artificial colouring agents in sweets and packed food has become a common scenario now a day, which pose serious consequences in consumers especially children. Various studies around the globe reported the serious health hazards of artificial food dyes which include organ damage of liver, kidney and lungs thereby affecting metabolic enzymes, serum creatine and urea levels and brain damage resulting in neurotoxicity and even behavioural deficits in children. Food products which use artificial dye like soft drinks, ice cream, pastries, biscuits, cake, cookies etc. are more or less a part of modern generation’s daily food habit. Hence, it is imperative to search for alternative safe and healthy food additives of natural origin. In this direction, the present study aims to exploit the feasibility of Mirabilis jalapa flower extract as food coloring agent along with its possibility as a therapeutic agent. The stability of the colour is assessed by the absorbance of both standard and natural extracts were compared. For effective and easy in vitro multiplication of the plant for commercial extraction of pigment, protoplast culture will be a promising one, for which different parameters like sucrose concentration will be standardized. Phytochemical screening, TLC, Ascorbic acid content, Antioxidant activity evaluates the medicinally active substance and Optimization of the pigment. Nanoparticles of M. jalapa flower extract solution will be used for slow and sustained cellular delivery of the extract to study detailed physiological and biochemical interactions. Green synthesis of nanoparticles of M. jalapa extract solution will be promising one for the microbial therapy of human pathogenic bacteria. Cellular delivery of nanoparticle was proven by UV visible spectroscopy, SEM and XRD. The present study will be able to propose a safe and natural alternative for the currently used chemical food colouring agents in a cost-effective way, which can address many serious health issues due to life style modification in an effective manner.

Abstract

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