Dandan Ma, Y Cheng, Mengli Geng, Zhaojun Wang, Qiuming Chen, Maomao Zeng, Jie Chen, Ebeydulla Rahman, Zhiyong He
Anthocyanins (ACNs) are water-soluble flavonoid pigments widely distributed in fruits, vegetables, and grains and associated with diverse health benefits. Their application in functional foods is limited by poor chemical stability and low, variable bioavailability caused by pH-dependent structural interconversion during processing and extensive presystemic metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract. Existing reviews often address bioactivity or delivery technologies separately, without clarifying how structural vulnerability translates into pharmacokinetic constraints that should guide delivery design. Here, we propose an integrative framework linking structural vulnerability, pharmacokinetic limitations, and delivery design. Emerging encapsulation platforms are critically evaluated for their effects on stability, gastrointestinal retention, release behavior, and functional performance. Safety and regulatory considerations are also discussed. Future research should prioritize pharmacokinetics-guided and stimuli-responsive strategies to optimize the spatiotemporal fate and functional exposure profile of ACNs and their metabolites. This review may provide practical guidance for the development of ACNs-based functional food formulations.