Molecular hybrids of natural pigments

Abstract

Pigments are essential for the vital functions of plants, mediating interspecies communication and acting against biotic and abiotic stress. The properties of these secondary metabolites vary according to their structure and may inspire their use in different applications such as sun protection, antioxidants and coloring additives for products intended for human consumption. However, major classes of plant pigments, such as carotenoids, anthocyanins and betalains, are subject to degradation through various processes such as hydrolysis and photo-oxidation. In this doctoral project, it is proposed to synthesize synthetic hybrids that contain a betalainic nucleus and a portion originated from other plant pigment families. In these compounds, the disadvantages of the original pigments can be minimized by keeping the structural units responsible for the properties of interest applied. Besides the structural characterization, measurements related to the electron and energy transfer properties of these hybrids will be performed. (AU)