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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #183267
Title: SYSTEMATIC IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTHOCYANINS BY HPLC-ESI-MS/MS IN COMMON FOODS IN THE UNITED STATES: FRUITS AND BERRIES

Author
item WU, XIANLI - UAMS/ACNC
item Prior, Ronald

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2005
Publication Date: 3/3/2005
Citation: Wu, X., Prior, R.L. 2005. Systematic identification and characterization of anthocyanins by hplc-esi-ms/ms in common foods in the united states: fruits and berries. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 53(7):2589-2599.

Interpretive Summary: Anthocyanins are the components in foods that give the dark red, blue or black colors in many foods, particularly fruits and berries. Because of the number of different sugars and other chemical structures that can be attached to the basic anthocyanin molecule, there are over 600 different compounds that have been identified. In this publication, anthocyanins in common foods in the U.S., other than fruits and berries, were systematically identified and characterized. Of the 25 different fruits that were screened, fourteen fruits were found that contained anthocyanins; the number of anthocyanins varied from two in peaches and nectarines to thirty-one in Concord grape. The individual anthocyanins were identified by comparing their mass spectral data and retention time with that of standards and published data. Some possible guidelines that help identify anthocyanins in foods with complex anthocyanin composition were deduced and discussed. For the first time, this paper presents complete anthocyanin HPLC profiles and MS spectral data of common fruits using the same uniform experimental conditions.

Technical Abstract: Anthocyanins were systematically identified and characterized by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS coupled with diode array detection in common fruits from U.S. food markets and other commercial sources. Of the 25 different fruits that were screened, 14 fruits were found to contain anthocyanins; the number of anthocyanins varied from 2 in peaches and nectarines to 31 in Concord grape. The individual anthocyanins were identified by comparing their mass spectral data and retention times with those of standards and published data. In all of the samples analyzed, only 6 common anthocyanidins, delphinidin, cyanidin, pelargonidin, petunidin, peonidin and malvidin, were found. In addition to the well-known major anthocyanins, a number of minor anthocyanins were identified for the first time. Some possible guidelines that help to identify anthocyanins in foods with complex anthocyanin composition were deduced and discussed. For the first time, this paper presents complete anthocyanin HPLC profiles and MS spectral data of common fruits using the same uniform experimental conditions.