Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (3): 133-144.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2026-0164

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Research Progress in the Enzymatic Degradation Mechanism of Anthocyanins in Fruits

PENG Chu1,2(), SUN Juan-li1, ZHENG Bei-bei1, ZHANG Ruo-xi1, HAN Yue-peng1(), ZHAO Yun1()   

  1. 1.Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074
    2.College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002
  • Received:2026-02-02 Online:2026-03-26 Published:2026-04-23
  • Contact: HAN Yue-peng, ZHAO Yun E-mail:pengchu2026@163.com;yphan@wbgcas.cn;zhaoyun@wbgcas.cn

Abstract:

Anthocyanins are a class of natural water-soluble pigments widely distributed in plants. As major determinants of fruit coloration and nutritional quality, their accumulation directly influences fruit marketability and economic value. Some studies have shown that excessive anthocyanin accumulation can adversely affect fruit aroma and flavor, underscoring the importance of maintaining a dynamic balance in anthocyanin levels for optimal fruit quality. Anthocyanins are inherently unstable and susceptible to degradation under environmental factors such as light and temperature. Anthocyanin degradation is therefore essential for maintaining metabolic homeostasis, with enzymatic degradation constituting the primary pathway in plants. This review systematically summarizes current advances in enzymes involved in anthocyanin degradation and their degradation mechanisms, with particular emphasis on degradation models mediated by three major enzyme classes such as β-glucosidase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase. β-glucosidases specifically hydrolyze the glycosidic bonds of anthocyanins, releasing unstable anthocyanidins that undergo subsequently spontaneous degradation and can be further oxidized by peroxidases. Peroxidases and polyphenol oxidases/laccases catalyze phenolic substrates into highly reactive quinone intermediates, which mediate anthocyanin degradation through coupled oxidation reactions. In addition, polyphenol oxidases/laccases can directly degrade anthocyanins in vitro. Collectively, these enzymes synergistically function within the vacuole to modulate anthocyanin degradation and contribute to fruit coloration and quality formation, although the regulatory mechanisms remain further analysis. This review further discusses key scientific questions and challenges in the field, including the catalytic mechanisms of degradation enzymes, multi-enzyme coordination patterns, the interplay between biosynthesis and degradation, and environmental response mechanisms, aiming to provide a theoretical framework for the precise regulation of anthocyanin homeostasis and the multidimensional improvement of fruit quality.

Key words: fruit, anthocyanin, enzymatic degradation, β-glucosidase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, laccase, molecular mechanism