LC–MS analysis of anthocyanins from purple corn cob

Liquid chromatography coupled with diode array spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry detection (LC–DAS–MS) has been applied to the study of the anthocyanin composition of a commercial extract from purple corn cob used as a colourant additive in the food industry. Nine different anthocyanins were isolated using semipreparative HPLC and identified by LC–MS and hydrolytic techniques. Useful information for the identification of compounds was also obtained from their fragmentation patterns (MS–MS spectra). Six of these anthocyanins seem to be present in the original cob, namely cyanidin‐3‐glucoside, pelargonidin‐3‐glucoside, peonidin‐3‐glucoside and their respective malonyl derivatives. The other three are produced during the industrial extraction process and have been identified as the corresponding ethylmalonyl derivatives. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Development of a green two‐dimensional HPLC‐DAD/ESI‐MS method for the determination of anthocyanins from Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpurea leaf and improvement of their stability in energy drinks

This study aimed to develop a green two‐dimensional HPLC‐DAD/ESI‐MS method for analysing anthocyanins from Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpurea leaf and improve their stability in energy drinks by the addition of phenolic acids. Ethanol and tartaric acid solutions were used as mobile phases for one‐dimensional HPLC‐DAD for quantitative analysis of anthocyanins, and the primary anthocyanins were identified as cyanidin‐3‐O‐galactoside, cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside and cyanidin‐3‐O‐rutinoside using two‐dimensional HPLC‐MS. Method validation showed that the developed method was accurate, stable and reliable for the analysis of P. cerasifera anthocyanins. The effects of gallic, ferulic and caffeic acid on the stability of cyanidin‐3‐O‐galactoside, cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside, cyanidin‐3‐O‐rutinoside and total anthocyanins from P. cerasifera leaf in energy drinks were evaluated, and the degradation of P. cerasifera anthocyanins ideally followed a first‐order model (R² > 0.98). Gallic acid showed stronger protective effects on P. cerasifera anthocyanins in energy drinks, and adding/increasing ferulic and caffeic acids accelerated the degradation reactions.     

Evaluation of colouring ability of main European elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) varieties as potential resources of natural food colourants

Profiling and quantitative analysis of anthocyanins in five elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) varieties, namely ‘Haschberg’, ‘Samocco’, ‘Samyl’, ‘Samident’ and ‘Sampo’, were performed in six different maturity stages from two consecutive years (2012 and 2013) and from two growing areas in Hungary. Cyanidin‐3‐O‐sambubioside‐5‐O‐glucoside, cyanidin‐3‐O‐sambubioside and cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside were found and identified by HPLC‐Q/TOF‐MS as major anthocyanins and were quantified by HPLC‐UV/Vis. In optimum maturity stage, ‘Samocco’ showed the highest anthocyanin content with an average of 1237 mg per 100 g dry weight in both growing areas and vintages. The dominant anthocyanin component of Samocco variety was cyanidin‐3‐O‐sambubioside, which is according to literature more stable against technology processing than cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside found in the other four investigated elderberry varieties in the highest concentration. ‘Samocco’, if grown under the climatic conditions of the Carpathian basin, might be a promising alternative variety for growing as raw material for natural food colourant processing industry.     

Comparison of Polyphenol Profile and Inhibitory Activities Against Oxidation and α‐Glucosidase in Mulberry (Genus Morus) Cultivars from China

Mulberry (genus Morus) is a significant source of polyphenols, which can promote positive effects on human health. China has various mulberry cultivars, however, many Chinese mulberry cultivars have been only minimally studied. To solve this lack of research, 8 mulberry cultivars (Da10, Tang10, Yueshen74, Yuefenshen, Longsang, Ningxia1hao, Taiwanguosang, and Baiyuwang) from 4 regions of China were assessed to determine their polyphenol profiles using HPLC‐MS/MS and then tested for their antioxidant and anti‐α‐glucosidase activities in vitro. A total of 18 nonanthocyanins and 4 anthocyanins were quantified in mulberry cultivars; among these polyphenols, chlorogenic acid, quercetin 3‐O‐rutinoside, and cyanidin 3‐O‐glucoside were confirmed as the major phenolic acid, flavonol derivative, and anthocyanin, respectively. Two types of stilbene compounds, piceid, and piceatannol, were detected for the 1st time in all mulberry cultivars. Moreover, the methanolic extracts of different mulberry cultivars showed disparate antioxidant and α‐glucosidase inhibitory activities, and this discrepancy was mainly attributed to varying the anthocyanin content. Based on our results, Taiwanguosang is proposed to be a good candidate suitable for further process due to its high level of anthocyanins.     

Berry anthocyanins: isolation,identification and antioxidant activities

Anthocyanins from bilberry, blackcurrant and cowberry were isolated for antioxidant evaluation. Individual compounds were identified and quantified using HPLC and HPLC/ESI–MS techniques. Antioxidant and radical‐scavenging capacities of the isolates were studied in emulsified methyl linoleate and human low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) in vitro and in the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test. The total anthocyanin contents in the phenolic extracts of bilberry, blackcurrant and cowberry were 6000, 2360 and 680 mg kg^?1 fresh weight respectively. There were four dominant compounds in blackcurrant (glucosides and rutinosides of cyanidin and delphinidin), three in cowberry (monoglycosides of cyanidin) and 15 in bilberry (monoglycosides of cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin and petunidin). Quantification as cyanidin‐3‐glucoside equivalents gave markedly lower results regarding the total anthocyanin concentration and the content of individual delphinidin and malvidin compounds compared with quantification based on corresponding standard compounds. Berry anthocyanins were highly active radical scavengers in the DPPH test and effective antioxidants in emulsion and human LDL. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Anthocyanin content and antioxidant capacity in bran extracts of some Thai black rice varieties

This study investigated both the anthocyanin content and the antioxidant capacity of a set of genetically related glutinous and nonglutinous Thai black rice varieties. The ethanol/water extracts of the brans of these black rice varieties showed relatively potent antioxidant activities compared with those of tocopherol. These antioxidant activities were determined by thiocyanate, H₂O₂‐scavenging chemiluminescence (XYZ), Cu⁺⁺/bathocuproine colorimetry (PAO) and 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical‐scavenging assay. The structural identification and quantification of the black rice anthocyanins performed by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionisation and tandem mass spectrometry found cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside and peonidin‐3‐O‐glucoside as the major anthocyanins in the ranges of 16.01–34.40 and 2.43–7.36 μg mL^?1, respectively. The comparative study in terms of quantity of these phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of the black rice bran extracts suggested the contribution of overall phenolic components rather than that of the particular anthocyanin pigments.     

Changes in Radical-scavenging Activity and Components of Mulberry Fruit During Maturation

ABSTRACT Extracts of mulberry fruits (Morus sp.) were prepared from 8 cultivars harvested at 4 stages of maturity, and their radicalscavenging activity, anthocyanin content, and total phenolic content were measured. The radical‐scavenging activity was evaluated by a spectrophotometric assay using the 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) in a 96‐well microplate. Mulberry fruit extracts exhibited the DPPH‐scavenging activities, ranging from 2.5 to 20.3 μmol‐Trolox equiv/g‐FW. Their activities were variable during maturation, and the highest activity was observed in the fully mature mulberry fruit in all cultivars. Anthocyanin was scarcely present in the immature mulberry fruits; however, its content increased as the fruit matured in all cultivars. On the other hand, all immature mulberry fruits contained non‐anthocyanin phenolic compound. An on‐line high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the detection of DPPH‐scavenging compounds revealed the difference in predominant radical scavengers between the immature and fully mature stages in the Miran 5 cultivar. Four major radical scavengers in the Miran 5 cultivar were assigned to 2 caffeoylquinic acids (chlorogenic acid and its isomer) and 2 anthocyanins (cyanidin 3‐glucoside and cyanidin 3‐rutinoside) in the immature and fully mature stages, respectively, by LC‐ESI‐MS/MS analysis. The change in the content of 4 compounds in mulberry fruits during maturation demonstrated that the most likely contributors to the DPPH‐scavenging activity were caffeoylquinic acids in the immature mulberry and anthocyanins in the mature and fully mature mulberry.     

Anthocyanin Determination in Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) and Biological Specimens Using Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

ABSTRACT: The capabilities of mass spectrometry for microscale determination of anthocyanins were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/ MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS). Four anthocyanins [cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-sambubioside, cyanidin 3–(2^G−xylosylrutinoside) and cyanidin 3-rutinoside] were characterized in black raspberry samples by LC-ESI/MS-MS using both positive and negative ion analyses. Quantification of anthocyanins was conducted using ESI/MS-MS with selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Linear responses of several anthocyanins were determined during MS-MS analyses. Detection limits as low as 1 femtomol for most anthocyanins were obtained during ESI/MS-MS. Compared with other quantitative procedures such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry, the current method provides an improved sensitive, specific technique for direct determination of intact anthocyanins. The developed methodology was successfully applied to analysis of trace levels of anthocyanins in human plasma and epithelial cells.     

Extraction and identification of anthocyanin from purple corn (Zea mays L.)

An efficient extraction of anthocyanin from purple corn (Zea mays L.) was investigated in this paper. Tristimulus colourimetry was used to evaluate the process quantitatively and qualitatively. Purple corn anthocyanin was extracted with 1 n HCl–95% ethanol (15:85, v/v) at different extraction temperatures (30–70 °C), times (60–120 min) and solid–liquid ratio (1:20–1:40). The combined effects of extraction conditions on anthocyanin yield and colour attributes were studied using a three‐level three‐factor Box–Behnken design. The results showed that the highest yield of anthocyanin from purple corn (6.02 mg g^?1) were obtained at 70 °C, extraction time 73 min, and solid–liquid ratio 1:25. Three kinds of non‐acylated anthocyanins were detected and characterised as cyanidin‐3‐glucoside, pelargonidin‐3‐glucoside and peonidin‐3‐glucoside by HPLC‐MS.     

Preparation of novel distinct highly aromatic liquors using fruit distillates

This work describes the preparation of aromatised liquors using deodorised and concentrated fruit distillates. The raw spirits were improved by making a partial deodorisation, using activated charcoal, followed by concentration, using a distiller. The liquors were prepared by a maceration process. The procedure is exemplified using fig distillates to prepare myrtle berry liquors. The acidity, copper, polyphenol and anthocyanin indexes and volatile and anthocyanin profiles were monitored in each preparation step. The concentration process increased the ethanol proof to 75% v/v and decreased the acidity and the copper content. The partial deodorisation decreased the levels of high molecular weight volatiles, while the content of lower molecular weight compounds that contribute to flavour was maintained. Delphinidin‐3‐O‐glucoside, cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside, petunidin‐3‐O‐glucoside and malvidin‐3‐O‐glucoside were the major anthocyanins.     

Bioavailability of a bilberry anthocyanin extract and its impact on plasma antioxidant capacity in rats

Anthocyanins are secondary metabolites from the flavonoid family, frequently found in fruits and vegetables. They have been shown to possess beneficial health effects and various in vitro assays have highlighted their powerful antioxidant capacity. However, little is known about their metabolism after digestion and their antioxidant potency in vivo. The aim of this work was to evaluate anthocyanin bioavailability and to determine the impact of an anthocyanin‐rich diet on plasma antioxidant status in rats. Animals were fed for 8 days with a vitamin E‐deficient diet supplemented with a bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) anthocyanin extract providing daily 1.43 mmol anthocyanins kg^?1 body weight. An anthocyanin‐enriched diet significantly enhanced the plasma antioxidant capacity compared with a control diet (P < 0.0001). Moreover, anthocyanins were recovered in urine in the intact glycosidic forms in addition to unknown metabolites. Urinary excretion of bilberry anthocyanins and their metabolites was 0.71 ± 0.08 µmol per 24 h (ie 0.22% of the ingested dose). Anthocyanins and their corresponding aglycones were detected in caecal contents. After a single oral administration of the bilberry extract, native anthocyanins quickly (30 min) appeared in plasma. Hence, in spite of a low bioavailability, bilberry anthocyanin extract consumption has a positive effect on plasma antioxidant capacity. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Changes in pigment profile and surface colour of fig (Ficus carica L.) during drying

In this study, anthocyanins in three fresh fig varieties (Ficus carica L.) cultivated in Turkey were characterised and quantified by HPLC/DAD and HPLC/MS. In addition, the carotenoid composition of Sar?lop and Sar?zeybek, yellow fig varieties, was determined, and then the ripening‐ and drying‐related changes in carotenoids and surface colour of figs were monitored during conventional sun‐drying. Four different anthocyanins, cyanidin‐3‐glucoside, cyanidin‐3,5‐diglucoside, cyanidin‐3‐rutinoside (major anthocyanin) and pelargonidin‐3‐glucoside, were identified in samples. Lutein, zeaxanthin, β‐cryptoxanthin and β‐carotene were carotenoids in yellow fig varieties. Approximately 80% of carotenoid compounds in yellow fig varieties degraded at the end of drying (i.e. seventh day). L (lightness), a (redness and greenness) and b (yellowness and blueness) colour parameters were measured by Hunter Lab system. Great changes in carotenoid composition and surface colour were observed at ripening stage on tree. A significant reduction in L and b values that refers to browning in figs was made in the first 3 days of drying process.     

Identification of Antimutagenic Properties of Anthocyanins and Other Polyphenols from Rose (Rosa centifolia) Petals and Tea

Petals from different rose (Rosa centifolia) cultivars (“passion,” “pink noblesse,” and “sphinx”) were assessed for antimutagenicity using Escherichia coli RNA polymerase B (rpoB)‐based Rif ^S→Rif ^R (rifampicin sensitive to resistant) forward mutation assay against ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)‐induced mutagenesis. The aqueous extracts of rose petals from different cultivars exhibited a wide variation in their antimutagenicity. Among these, cv. “passion” was found to display maximum antimutagenicity. Upon further fractionation, the anthocyanin extract of cv. “passion” displayed significantly higher antimutagenicity than its phenolic extract. During thin‐layer chromatography (TLC) analysis, the anthocyanin extract got resolved into 3 spots: yellow (R_f: 0.14), blue (R_f: 0.30), and pink (R_f: 0.49). Among these spots, the blue one displayed significantly higher antimutagenicity than the other 2. Upon high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis, this blue spot further got resolved into 2 peaks (R_t: 2.7 and 3.8 min). The 2nd peak (R_t: 3.8 min) displaying high antimutagenicity was identified by ESI‐IT‐MS/MS analysis as peonidin 3‐glucoside, whereas less antimutagenic peak 1 (R_t: 2.7) was identified as cyanidin 3, 5‐diglucoside. The other TLC bands were also characterized by ESI‐IT‐MS/MS analysis. The least antimutagenic pink band (R_f: 0.49) was identified as malvidin 3‐acetylglucoside‐4‐vinylcatechol, whereas non‐antimutagenic yellow band (R_f: 0.14) was identified as luteolinidin anthocyanin derivative. Interestingly, the anthocyanin extracted from rose tea of cv. “passion” exhibited a similar antimutagenicity as that of the raw rose petal indicating the thermal stability of the contributing bioactive(s). The findings thus indicated the health protective property of differently colored rose cultivars and the nature of their active bioingredients.     

Chemical analysis and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect of anthocyanin-rich red leaf tea (cv. Sunrouge)

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of leaf order or crop season on anthocyanins and other chemicals in the anthocyanin‐rich tea cultivar ‘Sunrouge’ (Camellia sinensis x C. taliensis) by using high‐performance liquid chromatography, and to study the effect of ‘Sunrouge’ extract on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in human neuroblastoma SK‐N‐SH cells. RESULTS: The total anthocyanin content was higher in the third (3.09 mg g^?1) than in the second (2.24 mg g^?1) or first crop season (1.79 mg g^?1). The amount of anthocyanins contained in the stem was high (1.61 mg g^?1). In the third crop season, the concentrations of delphinidin‐3‐O‐β‐D ‐(6‐(E)‐p‐coumaroyl)galactopyranoside (DCGa), cyanidin‐3‐O‐β‐D ‐(6‐(E)‐p‐coumaroyl)galactopyranoside, delphinidin‐3‐O‐β‐D ‐galactopyranoside, delphinidin‐3‐O‐β‐D ‐(6‐O‐(Z)‐p‐coumaroyl)galactopyranoside, cyanidin‐3‐O‐β‐D ‐galactoside, and delphinidin‐3‐O‐β‐D ‐glucoside were 1.57 mg g^?1, 0.52 mg g^?1, 0.40 mg g^?1, 0.22 mg g^?1, 0.14 mg g^?1, and 0.11 mg g^?1, respectively. DCGa accounted for about 50% of the anthocyanins present. The suppressive effect of ‘Sunrouge’ water extract on AChE activity in human neuroblastoma SK‐N‐SH cells was the strongest among the three tea cultivars (‘Sunrouge’, ‘Yabukita’ and ‘Benifuuki’). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that ‘Sunrouge’ might protect humans from humans from AChE‐related diseases by suppressing AChE activity. To obtain sufficient amounts of anthocyanins, catechins and/or caffeine for a functional food material, ‘Sunrouge’ from the third crop season should be used. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of industrial juice concentrate processing on phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity of black carrots

Black carrot concentrate has gained increasing interest in recent years as a natural colourant due to its substantial content of bioactive compounds, especially anthocyanins. Black carrot concentrate production includes several steps, some of which are milling, mashing, pressing, pasteurisation and concentration. In this study, every step of black carrot concentrate processing was investigated to elucidate both the quantitative and qualitative changes in antioxidative compounds using spectrophotometric, HPLC‐based and LC‐QTOF‐MS‐based analyses. The results obtained indicated that processing the raw black carrot material into its concentrate led to an overall reduction of 70%, 73% and 44% in total phenolic, total flavonoid and total monomeric anthocyanin contents on a dry weight basis, respectively. Moreover, concentrate processing resulted in 67% and 71% decreases in total antioxidant capacity, determined using DPPH and CUPRAC methods, respectively, on dry weight basis. Untargeted LC‐MS‐based metabolomics analysis enabled the identification of ten phenolic components including seven anthocyanins and three phenolic acids. HPLC‐based quantification of individual anthocyanins revealed cyanidin‐3‐xylosyl (feruloylglucosyl)galactoside as the major anthocyanin component.     

Bioassay‐Based Isolation and Identification of Phenolics from Sweet Cherry That Promote Active Glucose Consumption by HepG2 Cells

A variety of phenolics had been found to be functional in promoting cellular glucose consumption that is important for blood glucose regulation. Sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is rich in such kinds of phenolics, including hydrocinnamic acids, anthocyanins, flavonols, and flavan‐3‐ols. Furthermore, a sweet cherry phenolics‐rich extract (PRE) was found to be effective in promoting HepG2 glucose consumption. Seventeen components were preliminarily identified by HPLC‐ESI‐MS, including 9 hydrocinnamic acids, 4 anthocyanins, 3 flavonols, and 1 flavan‐3‐ol. To investigate the cellular glucose consumption‐promotion activity of different phneolics subclasses, the phenolics were further fractionated into an anthocyanin‐rich fraction (ARF), hydrocinnamic acid‐rich fraction (HRF), and flavonol‐rich fraction (FRF) through liquid–liquid extraction and mix‐mode cation‐exchange solid‐phase extraction. The 3 fractions promoted HepG2 glucose consumption to different levels, with the promotion effects of HRF and FRF stronger than that of the ARF. The results provide guidance on the use of sweet cherry as a functional fruit.     

Tissue distribution of anthocyanins in rats fed a blackberry anthocyanin‐enriched diet

Anthocyanins are natural dietary pigments that could be involved in various health effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of anthocyanins to various organs (bladder, prostate, testes, heart and adipose tissue) in rats fed with a blackberry anthocyanin‐enriched diet for 12 days. Identification and quantification of anthocyanins were carried out by HPLC‐DAD. The urinary excretion of total anthocyanins (native anthocyanins and their metabolites) was low (0.20 ± 0.03%, n = 8). Proportions of anthocyanin derivatives (methylated anthocyanins and glucurono‐conjugated derivatives) differed according to the organ considered. The bladder contained the highest levels of anthocyanins followed by the prostate. Prostate, testes and heart contained native cyanidin 3‐glucoside and a small proportion of cyanidin monoglucuronide. Cyanidin 3‐glucoside and methylated derivatives were present in adipose tissue. Thus, anthocyanin feeding in rats resulted in a wide distribution of anthocyanin derivatives to several organs. Identification of target tissues of anthocyanins may then help to understand the mechanisms of action of anthocyanins in vivo.     

Anthocyanin changes in the Korean purple-fleshed sweet potato,Shinzami, as affected by steaming and baking

As hydrophilic pigments, anthocyanins reduce the incidence of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the anthocyanin content and composition following steaming and baking of the roots of the Korean purple-fleshed sweet potato variety “Shinzami” were evaluated using liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionisation/mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI/MS). Anthocyanins of Shinzami were composed of mono- or di-acylated forms of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid with the basic structure of cyanidin 3-sophoroside-5-glucoside or peonidin 3-sophoroside-5-glucoside. A total of 15 individual anthocyanins were isolated and confirmed, one of which was presumed to be a newly identified compound, peonidin 3-feruloyl-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside. Additionally, the amounts of di-acylated cyanidin 3-caffeoyl-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside and peonidin 3-caffeoyl-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside were the highest (137.0 and 565.9 mg/100 g DW, respectively) among cyanidin and peonidin compounds. After steaming, the total anthocyanin content was reduced by nearly a half, while roasting only slightly reduced the total anthocyanin content.     

Adsorption behaviour of some anthocyanins by wheat gluten and its fractions in acidic conditions

Some anthocyanins, both commercial delphinidin‐3‐O‐β‐d ‐glucoside chloride and cyanidin‐3‐O‐β‐d ‐rutinoside chloride (Dp3glu and Cy3rut) and extracted from plants, were adsorbed by gluten or its fractions to carry out a study that can be considered a premise to estimate the potential effect on bioavailability of anthocyanin adsorption. This process was studied by means of adsorption kinetics and isotherms. Among the parameters determining adsorption, the temperature and the pH value were evaluated. The data show that gluten and its fraction have a great adsorption capacity (about 1.0 mg g^?1 of gluten). The results indicate that the structure of the anthocyanins plays an important role in their adsorption by gluten or its fractions; in fact, the adsorption kinetics show that Dp3glu is more adsorbed than Cy3rut. The isotherms of anthocyanin adsorption by gluten indicate the presence of a strong interaction between the two types of molecules. This could be an important finding to obtain functionalised‐based gluten products.     

Comparison and Characterization of Compounds with Antioxidant Activity in Lycium barbarum Using High‐Performance Thin Layer Chromatography Coupled with DPPH Bioautography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Methanol extracts from 50 batches of Lycium barbarum (L. barbarum, wolfberry) in China were compared and characterized using high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography coupled with 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) bioautography (HPTLC‐DPPH) and electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS), respectively. Results showed that similar components occupying the major antioxidant activity existed in L. barbarum collected from different origins. However, the average antioxidant capacities of methanol extracts of L. barbarum collected in Ningxia were significantly higher than those of Qinghai, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu, which may contribute to rational use of L. barbarum in China. Furthermore, the chemical structure of compound with the highest antioxidant capacity was tentatively identified as 2‐O‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl‐l ‐ascorbic acid using ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS analysis, which possessed high potentials to be used as an antioxidant biomarker for the quality control of L. barbarum. Results are helpful for the bioactivity‐based quality control of L. barbarum, and beneficial for the improvement of their performance in functional/health foods area, suggesting that HPTLC‐DPPH bioautography with ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS could be used as a routine approach for quality control of antioxidant components in L. barbarum.