Most plants contain more than one of these pigments and they occur most prevalently as glycosides. Anthocyanin pigments, although sometimes unmasked by loss of chlorophyll, are frequently synthesized from small precursors during the final stages of fruit maturation.
The anthocyanin color of a fruit can be due to a single pigment or to mixtures of anthocyanins. The anthocyanins are part of the larger group of aromatic oxygen containing, heterocyclic compounds, known as flavonoids, most of which have a 2-phenylbenzopyram skeleton as their basic ring system.
The analysis of anthocyanins is commonly carried out through high performance liquid chromatography on octadecylsilane, polystyrene, or phenyl-bonded columns in reversed phase using gradient solvent systems of acetonitrile-water or methanol-water with a small amount of acid and a UV detector.
Anthocyanin compounds in food
