The invention provides recombinant polynucleotides comprising a nucleic acid encoding a CYP76AD6 or related gene and their use for producing L-DOPA from tyrosine and treating dopamine-responsive disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease. The invention also provides recombinant polynucleotides comprising a nucleic acid encoding a CYP76AD1 and/or CYP76AD6, a nucleic acid encoding a DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase (DOD) enzyme, such as Beta vulgaris DODA1, and, in some cases, a nucleic acid encoding betalain related glucosyltransferase, such as M. jalapa gene cyclo-DOPA 5-O-glucosyltransferase (cDOPA5GT), and their use for producing betalains. Finally, the invention provides chimeric polypeptides, expression vectors, cells, compositions, and organisms, including plants, and their uses in various methods of the invention.

The invention provides recombinant polynucleotides comprising a nucleic acid encoding a CYP76AD6 or related gene and their use for producing L-DOPA from tyrosine and treating dopamine-responsive disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease. The invention also provides recombinant polynucleotides comprising a nucleic acid encoding a CYP76AD1 and/or CYP76AD6, a nucleic acid encoding a DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase (DOD) enzyme, such as Beta vulgaris DODA1, and, in some cases, a nucleic acid encoding betalain related glucosyltransferase, such as M. jalapa gene cyclo-DOPA 5-O-glucosyltransferase (cDOPA5GT), and their use for producing betalains. Finally, the invention provides chimeric polypeptides, expression vectors, cells, compositions, and organisms, including plants, and their uses in various methods of the invention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique of suppressing precipitation of an anthocyanin pigment in a range other than the highly acidic range. The present invention provides an anthocyanin pigment preparation, comprising: an anthocyanin pigment; and an emulsifier, wherein the pH when the anthocyanin pigment preparation is diluted with water or dissolved in water so that a color value becomes 10 is more than 3.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique of suppressing precipitation of an anthocyanin pigment in a range other than the highly acidic range. The present invention provides an anthocyanin pigment preparation, comprising: an anthocyanin pigment; and an emulsifier, wherein the pH when the anthocyanin pigment preparation is diluted with water or dissolved in water so that a color value becomes 10 is more than 3.

Composition having a blue color including a buffer, an anthocyanin, and a divalent ion source. The composition may comprise an anthocyanin and a divalent ion source, wherein the average variation of E*.sub.ab of the composition is less than 30% of the average variation of E*.sub.ab of a control composition after exposure of the composition and the control composition to a 400 to 765 W/m.sup.2 light source for a period of time. The composition may comprise an anthocyanin and a divalent ion source, wherein the composition exhibits a less than 20% change in the area beneath the reflectance colorimeter spectral curve of the composition from 430 nm to 530 nm measured over a period of time. In another aspect, a method of stabilizing a blue colorant is provided. The method may comprise combining a buffer, an anthocyanin, and a divalent ion source.

Composition having a blue color including a buffer, an anthocyanin, and a divalent ion source. The composition may comprise an anthocyanin and a divalent ion source, wherein the average variation of E*.sub.ab of the composition is less than 30% of the average variation of E*.sub.ab of a control composition after exposure of the composition and the control composition to a 400 to 765 W/m.sup.2 light source for a period of time. The composition may comprise an anthocyanin and a divalent ion source, wherein the composition exhibits a less than 20% change in the area beneath the reflectance colorimeter spectral curve of the composition from 430 nm to 530 nm measured over a period of time. In another aspect, a method of stabilizing a blue colorant is provided. The method may comprise combining a buffer, an anthocyanin, and a divalent ion source.

A process for providing phycocyanin from a blue-green algae biomass comprising the steps of forming a slurry of blue-green algae by mechanically mixing the blue-green algae in water to break up filaments of the biomass and incubating the macerated slurry in a container with at least a 1% flocculating agent for a period of time sufficient to separate a blue extract from the slurry. The blue extract is separated and filtered through a filter to obtain a blue filtrate and the blue filtrate is mixed in a container with an ammonium sulfate precipitate for a suitable period of time to obtain supernatant protein separation. The supernatant is syphoned from the container and the settled participate is centrifuged at a rpm ranging from about 3500 rpm to about 4500 rpm for a sufficient time to produce phycocyanin precipitate. The phycocyanin precipitate is spray dried to form a phycocyanin powder which is collected and purified with a citrate and water mixture to obtain a supernatant and phycocyanin residue with the phycocyanin residue being redissolved in water and sprayed to dry into a phycocyanin powder.

A process for providing phycocyanin from a blue-green algae biomass comprising the steps of forming a slurry of blue-green algae by mechanically mixing the blue-green algae in water to break up filaments of the biomass and incubating the macerated slurry in a container with at least a 1% flocculating agent for a period of time sufficient to separate a blue extract from the slurry. The blue extract is separated and filtered through a filter to obtain a blue filtrate and the blue filtrate is mixed in a container with an ammonium sulfate precipitate for a suitable period of time to obtain supernatant protein separation. The supernatant is syphoned from the container and the settled participate is centrifuged at a rpm ranging from about 3500 rpm to about 4500 rpm for a sufficient time to produce phycocyanin precipitate. The phycocyanin precipitate is spray dried to form a phycocyanin powder which is collected and purified with a citrate and water mixture to obtain a supernatant and phycocyanin residue with the phycocyanin residue being redissolved in water and sprayed to dry into a phycocyanin powder.

An emulsion composition has excellent emulsion stability. The emulsion composition has excellent emulsion stability contains water, an oily component, gum ghatti, and saponin, in which a content of the saponin is 0.05 to 30 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the gum ghatti.

An emulsion composition has excellent emulsion stability. The emulsion composition has excellent emulsion stability contains water, an oily component, gum ghatti, and saponin, in which a content of the saponin is 0.05 to 30 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the gum ghatti.