Anthocyanins are abundant in many color-intense fruits and vegetables, such as berries, beets, grapes, and purple and they became attractive in the modern food industry due to their intensive colors and associated health-promoting benefits, including anti-oxidation, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, etc. Quantitation of anthocyanins in food is very challenging. Due to their long chromophore of eight conjugated double bonds and a positive charge on the heterocyclic oxygen ring under acidic conditions, anthocyanins present a unique UV-Vis absorption profile with a maximum in the visible range between 465 nm and 550 nm. Molar absorptivity of anthocyanins is dependent on the type of aglycone (anthocyanidin), substitutions, and wavelength selected (Figure on the left).

Molar relative response factors (MRRFs) can be used to correct these effects, allowing the inexpensive and accurate quantitative analysis of many anthocyanins with one master reference standard (i.e., Cyanidin 3-glucoside, or C3G) The general rules for MRRF and λmax shift due to the structural variations for anthocyanins is shown below.

With the MRRF strategy, individual anthocyanin concentration in food materials can be quantified with improved accuracy. (C3G: cyanidin-3-glucoside)

Please search the anthocyanin/anthocyanidin by name, formula search, CAS number, or combined and obtain an output table for matched anthocyanin records with formula, CAS number, MRRF, and links to detailed chemical information for each anthocyanin.