Betalains are natural pigments, which are used as colorants in food industry. Synthesis of these pigments is unprofitable, therefore they are obtained by extraction from a plant biomass in industrial scale. The most beneficial source of betalains are red beet root (Beta vulgaris L.), flowers and seeds of several species of Amarantus as well as fruits of selected plant among Cactaceae family like Opuntia ficus-indica. Food colorants, which are commercially availa- ble have to meet the legislative requirements of the law and be approved for use by the WHO (World Health Organization) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) commission for the food additives. 
Betacyanins are conjugates of betalamic acid and glycosylated cyclo-DOPA which bring about the creation of a specific chromophoric system, the 1,7-dia- zaheptamethin chain. Betanin, a betacyanin pigment from red beet (Beta vulga- ris L.), as well as its decarboxylated derivatives were subjected to reduction with the use of NaBH4. The pigment structures contain a vinyl linker which is postu- lated to be protonated during reaction with NaBH4. In this study, 17-decarboxy- betanin and 2,17-bidecarboxy-betanin were obtained from betanin, which had been previously isolated from red beet root (Beta vulgaris L.). Purified pigments were tested in the presence of the reduction reagent while looking for the prod- ucts of the reaction identified by LC-MS.
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