*2.2.1. Anthocyanins*

Anthocyanins belong to the widespread group of plant constituents called flavonoids. In fruits and vegetables, they are responsible for the orange, red, purple and blue colors. Such dietary antioxidants aid in preventing neuronal diseases, heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and inflammation [23]. According to a study by Zhao et al. various commercial extracts of anthocyanin rich grapes, bilberry and chokeberry were prepared. When investigated for their chemopreventitive effects against colon cancer, it was found that all of the extracts inhibited the growth of HT-29 colon cancer cells [24]. In another study conducted by Wang and Mazza [25], the inhibitory effects of anthocyanins found in selected berries against nitric oxide (NO) were investigated. Since NO is associated with many chronic inflammatory diseases, the strong inhibition of anthocyanins on NO production indicated that anthocyanins can aid in the prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases [25].
