Abstract: Anthocyanins are the most ubiquitous and diverse class of natural pigments in the plant kingdom and are the main color substances of plant materials, and they exist in nature mostly as glycosides of anthocyanidins and have many important physiological functions and biological activities. Anthocyanins have poor structural stability due to their structures containing phenolic hydroxyls and are susceptible to external conditions such as pH, temperature, light, oxygen, metal ions and enzyme. These compounds can be easily decomposed during food processing, leading to loss of the bright color. The poor stability of anthocyanins restricts their storage and application in food processing. Modified anthocyanins can show improved stability to external environments and during food processing, and offer good color in a wide pH range. This article summarizes the different types of anthocyanin modification such as acylation, esterification and formation of pyranoanthocyanins as well as the structural characteristics and physiological activities of the modified anthocyanins, with the aim of providing a useful rationale for further studies on the structural stability and biological activity of anthocyanins and their application in agricultural products and food processing.

Key words: anthocyanins, structural modification, stability, physiological function