Insight into the influence of oxygen, sunlight and temperature on the stability and color attributes of red cabbage anthocyanins and in vitro gastrointestinal behaviour

•The low stability of red cabbage anthocyanins limits its application as a natural colorant.•The encapsulated anthocyanins were studied for stability and shelf life against oxygen, sunlight, temperatures 80–160 °C, and storage (at 25 °C & 4 °C).•In-vitro gastrointestinal studies showed that encapsulated anthocyanins are bioavailable. The study insights into the effect of temperature (80–160 °C), oxygen (O2), sunlight (SL), and storage on color attributes, shelf-life, and anthocyanins content on red cabbage (RC) anthocyanins (ANS) and their in-vitro bioaccessibility. The previously well-established encapsulating agent i.e. maltodextrin in combination with RC waste derived-pectin was used to stabilize the anthocyanins. The stability of encapsulated and non-encapsulated anthocyanins was accomplished in terms of total anthocyanin content under temperature, oxygen, sunlight, and storage. The individual content of 3,5-O-diglucoside and 3-O-glucoside of cyanidin exhibited 1.76% (SL), 1.56% (O2) & 1.8% (4 °C), 1.62% (25 °C) and 0.17% (SL), 0.15% (O2) & 0.259% (4 °C), 0.258% (25 °C) retention in maltodextrin/ pectin (MPC)-ANS, respectively. The encapsulated anthocyanins showed significantly improved stability against oxygen, sunlight, high temperature, and storage, with the highest anthocyanin retention, color, and hue angle, inducing very few color differences (ΔE). Besides, the MPC-ANS appeared to be a suitable encapsulating agent to delay anthocyanin release throughout the simulated gastrointestinal digestion. [Display omitted]