Betalain
Red and yellow plant pigments found in beets, bougainvillea, and cacti
No single value: Betalain is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, red.
Betalains are pigments responsible for the red to violet and yellow to orange colours in beets, bougainvillea, amaranth, and many cacti. Found mainly in plants of the Caryophyllales order, they are chemically distinct from anthocyanins and are used as natural food dyes.
- Betalains give beets and bougainvillea their deep red and purple colours
- Found only in plants of the Caryophyllales order and some fungi
- Used as a natural food dye, especially betanin from beetroot
- Betalains and anthocyanins never occur in the same plant
- First isolated and described in 1960
What colour is Betalain?
Betalain is a group of pigments that give certain plants their deep red, violet, yellow, or orange colours. These pigments are most visible in the petals of some flowers, as well as in the fruits, leaves, stems, and roots of plants like beets and cacti. Betalains are not found in most plants, and their shades are distinct from the anthocyanins seen elsewhere in the plant world.
Where does Betalain come from?
The name 'betalain' comes from the Latin name for beet, Beta vulgaris, since these pigments were first extracted from beets. Betalains were first isolated and their structure described in 1960 at the University of Zurich. They are mainly found in plants of the Caryophyllales order and some fungi, but never in plants that also have anthocyanins.
How is Betalain made?
Betalains are made in plants from the amino acid tyrosine. The process involves several steps, including the conversion of tyrosine to l-DOPA and then to betalamic acid, which reacts with other molecules to form the coloured pigments. Betalains are water-soluble and their synthesis is promoted by light.
Where Betalain is used
The main commercial use of betalains is as a natural food colouring, especially betanin from beetroot. They are also studied for their antioxidant properties. In nature, betalains are responsible for the striking colours of beets, bougainvillea, amaranth, and some cacti, and can be seen in many parts of these plants.
Red around the world
What the red family means from country to country.
The flag uses the four Pan-Arab colours: a red bar at the hoist with green, white and black bands. It was designed by a young Emirati, Abdullah Al Maainah, in 1971.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of the United Arab EmiratesThe flag is a black double-headed eagle on red, the banner of the fifteenth-century hero Skanderbeg. Fans chant Kuq e Zi, red and black.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of AlbaniaArmenian scribes painted manuscripts with vordan karmir, a crimson dye made from an insect that lives on the roots of grasses in the Ararat plain.
Sacred and holySource: Armenian cochinealUnder Juan Manuel de Rosas in the 1830s and 1840s, everyone had to wear a scarlet ribbon to show loyalty to his Federalist party. His enemies, the Unitarians, were tied to sky blue.
Politics and protestFearSource: Juan Manuel de RosasThe flag is red, white and red. Legend says Duke Leopold V's white tunic was soaked in blood at the siege of Acre, all but the band under his belt.
Politics and protestCourageSource: Flag of AustriaRed ochre is used in Aboriginal rock art and ceremony, and is traded over long distances. In the Aboriginal flag the red half stands for the earth and for that ochre.
Sacred and holyNature and renewalAweSource: Australian Aboriginal flagShades and relatives of Betalain
Betalains are divided into two main types: betacyanins, which are red to violet, and betaxanthins, which are yellow to orange. Examples include betanin (red), isobetanin, probetanin, neobetanin, vulgaxanthin, miraxanthin, portulaxanthin, and indicaxanthin. Their shades are distinct from anthocyanins, which are not found in betalain-containing plants.
Questions people ask about Betalain
What colour is betalain?
Betalain pigments range from red and violet (betacyanins) to yellow and orange (betaxanthins), giving plants like beets and bougainvillea their distinctive colours.
Where does the name 'betalain' come from?
The name comes from the Latin name for beet, Beta vulgaris, as betalains were first extracted from beets.
How are betalains different from anthocyanins?
Betalains and anthocyanins are both plant pigments, but they are chemically unrelated and never found together in the same plant.
What are betalains used for?
Betalains, especially betanin from beetroot, are used as natural food dyes and are also studied for their antioxidant properties.
Which plants contain betalains?
Plants in the Caryophyllales order, such as beets, bougainvillea, amaranth, and some cacti, contain betalains. Some fungi also produce them.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Betalain", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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