New insights on the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple Solanaceous fruit vegetables

Anthocyanins contribute vibrant colors to plants, enhance a plant's ability to survive biotic and abiotic stresses, and have a positive impact on human health. Solanaceous fruit vegetables, which mainly include tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), and pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), display natural variations of anthocyanin pigments in term of types, contents and tissue-specific patterns. Breeding anthocyanin-rich variety is the predominant avenue to improve the quality of Solanaceous fruit vegetables. Anthocyanin biosynthesis is a complicated process affected and regulated by environmental conditions and developmental cues. This article reviews the health benefits of anthocyanin, anthocyanin synthesis and transportation, transcriptional regulations, influencing factors, and strategies for increasing the anthocyanin content in Solanaceous fruit vegetables. It aims to provide a reference for further research on the biosynthesis, accumulation, and metabolism of anthocyanin, and to point out the direction for breeding and cultivation of anthocyanin-rich Solanaceous fruit vegetables.