ABSTRACT
This chapter describes anthraquinones, their structure, and their occurrence in foods such as plants, fermented products, and insects. Anthraquinones constitute a large group of natural compounds that occur in many foods, from plants such as Aloe to more elaborated products such as Asian fermented tea or tuna. As anthraquinone structure is based on an anthracenedione chemical backbone, they have often been associated with undesirable properties. The most common plant pigments from edible plants, fruit, and vegetables are carotenoids, chlorophylls, anthocyanins, and betalains. Historically, plants have been used for the extraction of a majority of natural colorants before being replaced by synthetic dyes. Fuzhuan brick-tea, a traditional fermented Chinese drink, has been demonstrated to contain a mixed microscopic fungal population producing anthraquinones. The mixture of color compounds extracted from dried roots of European madder is one of the oldest red dyes used throughout the history in Europe, Asia, and Northern and Southern America.
