Table 1.

Sites of occurrence of anthocyanins and their C₆-C₃-C₆ products in vivo, and the events and effects associated with them.

Site	Event	Effect	Reference
Mouth	Deglycosylation Association with saliva proteins	Polarity decrease; membrane solubility increase Decline in free parent anthocyanin	[22,47]
Stomach	Uptake on bilitranslocase Stabilization by acidic pH	Rapid absorption and distribution of parent anthocyanins	[44,77]
Small intestine	Association with food matrix Association with intestinal mucin High concentration in small intestine Enteric transport and phase 2 metabolism	Increased stability Delayed, impeded absorption Antioxidant effect in small intestine Distribution and formation of phase 2 conjugates	[22,27,103]
Liver	Hepatic phase 2 metabolism	Formation of phase 2 conjugates	[106]
Large intestine	Survival in colon	Darkening and purple coloration of feces (e.g., birds and bears) Antioxidant protection in colon	[103]
Bile	Dissolution of anthocyanins and their metabolites in amphipathic bile	Capacity for enterohepatic circulation due to anthocyanin properties Complex pool of anthocyanin isomers	[56]
Plasma	Association with serum albumin Preferred protein association with anthocyanin glycosides	Increased anthocyanin stability Depot for protein-associated anthocyanin	[32]
Tissues	Association with tissues	Long-term retention and possible protection of membranes and other structures	[78,104]
Liposomes and micelles	Reduced water activity	Increased anthocyanin stability Differential distribution and mobility in membranes	[25,26]