Blackberry Juice and Wine: Processing and Storage Effects on Anthocyanin Composition, Color and Appearance

Blackberry wine was made from thawed fruit (Evergreen variety) by fermentation of pulp, depectinized juice, and high-temperature short-time (HTST)-treated and depectinized juice. The effects of fining and storage on pigment composition, color and appearance were investigated. Seven anthocyanin pigments (cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, a xylose-cyanidin derivative, two acylated cyanidin derivatives, cyanidin and a polymeric derivative) were detected in the juices and wines by HPLC. Cyanidin-3-glucoside was highly unstable during fermentation. Haze development and sediment formation occurred, and 85 to 100% of total anthocyanins degraded. Blackberry juice that had been HTST-pasteurized, depectinized and fined produced wine with the most stable color and best appearance after storage.     

Anthocyanin and phenolic characterization,chemical composition and antioxidant activity of chagalapoli (Ardisia compressa K.) fruit: A tropical source of natural pigments

Chagalapoli (Ardisia compressa K.) is a tropical fruit of deep purple color with a high content of pigments. Anthocyanins, polyphenol composition, antioxidant activity and physicochemical characteristics of chagalapoli fruits (CF) are analyzed. The proximal and mineral composition is similar to that found in common berries (strawberry, blackberry and blueberry). A high content of total phenolics (1051.3 ± 43.5 mg of gallic acid equivalents/100 g of FW) is present, among which anthocyanins predominated (796.0 ± 2.3 mg of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside equivalents/100 g FW). Twelve anthocyanins were separated and ten of them identified by HPLC–DAD–MS. The main anthocyanins were malvidin-3-O-galactoside (35%), delphinidin 3-O-galactoside (28%) and petunidin 3-O-galactoside (19%). Other polyphenols identified included: flavonols, flavan-3-ols (catechin and proantocyanidin dimers) and hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives. The antioxidant activity of CF was 40% higher than that found in common berries, which were simultaneously analyzed. The high content of anthocyanins in CF and its peculiar anthocyanin profile make this under-utilized fruit a promising source of pigments and phenolic nutraceuticals.     

Identification of anthocyanins isolated from black rice (Oryza sativa L.) and their degradation kinetics

Black rice is rich in anthocyanins-plant pigments. The aim of this work was to identify anthocyanins in black rice using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization — mass spectrometry with diode array detection. Four different anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside) were identified in black rice. Thermal stability of the four anthocyanins in black rice extract was studied at selected temperatures (80 °C, 90 °C and 100 °C) in the range of pH 1.0–pH 6.0. The results indicated that the thermal degradation of anthocyanins followed the first-order reaction kinetics. The temperature-dependent degradation was adequately modeled on the Arrhenius equation. The calculated values of activation energies (Ea), t_1/2 and k were different for the four anthocyanins. The degradation rate of monomeric anthocyanin increased with increasing heating temperature and pH values. Especially, as heating temperature increasing to 100 °C and pH value to 5.0.     

Impact of various factors on the composition and stability of black currant anthocyanins

Nine black currant varieties cultivated in Lithuania were studied. The highest amount of ascorbic acid was established in fresh berries from cv Minaj Smyriov and Kupoliniai: these varieties contained 220.5 and 186.7 mg 100 g⁻¹ of ascorbic acid in berries. The highest amount of anthocyanins was found in cake produced from berries cv Kupoliniai and Kriviai: 14.65 and 15.42 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The major pigment determined in Kupoliniai variety was delphinidin-3-rutinoside; in Ben Lomond, Minaj Smyriov, Kriviai and Gagatai cultivars, cyanidin-3-rutinoside. The composition of the identified pigments was the following: cyanidin-3-rutinoside (33–38%), delphinidin-3-rutinoside (27–34%), cyanidin-3-glucoside (8–10%) and delphinidin-3-glucoside (8–10%). Impact of storage, thermal treatment and addition of sweeteners were studied. Cyanidin-3-rutinoside was the most stable to the effect of thermal treatment at 95 °C, while cyanidin and delphinidin rutinosides were the most stable during storage for 12 months at 8 °C. Fructose has a greater effect on anthocyanin degradation compared with glucose and aspartame.     

Matrix dependent impact of sugar and ascorbic acid addition on color and anthocyanin stability of black carrot,elderberry and strawberry single strength and from concentrate juices upon thermal treatment

Heat stability of strawberry, elderberry and black carrot juices prepared from concentrate and fresh plant material was investigated at pH 3.5 by heating at 95 °C for 2 and 4 h, respectively. The impact of added saccharides (glucose, fructose, sucrose) and ascorbic acid on 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) formation, browning together with the stability of anthocyanins and their color properties were assessed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry. Thermal degradation products of anthocyanins and saccharides were identified using liquid chromatography coupled to multistage mass spectrometry (LC–MSⁿ). Pigment stability and color changes depended on anthocyanin structure and juice matrix. Whereas a slight but insignificant stabilizing effect of added sugars and ascorbic acid was observed in juice prepared from black carrot concentrate, obvious color differences were detected in strawberry and elderberry juices when ascorbic acid was added. Manually squeezed juices from fresh plant material showed higher color stability compared to juices prepared from concentrate which might be due to the retention of polymeric matrix compounds in the former. The data presented may contribute to the development of advanced technological processes for the production of coloring foodstuff and food with improved color stability.     

Identification and thermal stability of purple-fleshed sweet potato anthocyanins in aqueous solutions with various pH values and fruit juices

Thirteen anthocyanins were identified in the purple-fleshed sweet potato cultivar Jihei No. 1. The main anthocyanins were 3-sophoroside-5-glucoside derivatives from cyanidin and peonidin, acylated with p-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, or caffeic acid. A unique anthocyanin, delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside was also found. The thermal stability of purple-fleshed sweet potato anthocyanins (PSPAs) followed a first-order kinetics model. Aqueous solutions with various pH (2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) and fruit juices (apple, pear, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, kiwifruit, and lemon) were coloured with PSPAs. The enrichment and degradation kinetics of anthocyanins in these matrices were investigated at 80, 90, and 100 °C. A higher stability of anthocyanins was obtained in aqueous solutions with pH 3 and 4 and in apple and pear juices. Moreover, the activation energies for PSPA degradation in aqueous solutions with various pH and fruit juices ranged from 66.56 kJ/mol to 111.57 kJ/mol and 46.76 kJ/mol to 75.68 kJ/mol, respectively.     

Determination of phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of blood orange juices obtained from cvs. Moro and Sanguinello (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) grown in Turkey

The phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacities of orange juices obtained from cvs. Moro and Sanguinello (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) were determined. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with diode-array detection was used to identify and quantify phenolic compounds of the orange juices. A total of 18 phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in Moro and Sanguinello orange juices, including hydroxybenzoic acids (2), hydroxycinnamic acids (5), flavanones (5), and anthocyanins (6). It was observed that total phenolic content of Moro juice was higher than that of Sanguinello juice. Ferulic acid was the most dominant hydroxycinnamic acid and cyanidin 3-(6″-malonyl glucoside) and cyanidin 3-glucoside were the most dominant anthocyanins in both cultivars. Antioxidant activities of orange juices were measured using the DPPH^· (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method. According to DPPH^· assays, the antioxidant capacity of Moro juice was found to be higher than that of Sanguinello juice.     

Investigation on the effects of microwave and conventional heating methods on the phytochemicals of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) and black mulberry juices

Black mulberry and pomegranate juices were concentrated by conventional and microwave heating at different operational pressures (7.3, 12, 38.5, and 100 kPa). The effects of each heating method on the phytochemical changes (total anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity) of juices were investigated. The effect of various heating methods on the profile of the pomegranate anthocyanins were conducted using high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS). The main anthocyanins of pomegranate quantified by HPLC–MS were cyanidin, delphidin, pelargonidin, 3-glucoside, and 3, 5-diglucoside. In black mulberry juice, the final juice concentration of 42° Brix was achieved in 140, 120, and 95 min at 100, 38.5, and 7.3 kPa respectively and the final pomegranate juice concentration of 40° Brix was achieved in 140, 127, and 109 min at 100, 38.5, and 12 kPa respectively by using a rotary evaporator. Applying microwave energy decreased the required times to 115, 95, and 60 min for black mulberry juice and to 118, 95, and 75 min for pomegranate juice. Results showed that anthocyanin degradation and consequently decrease in antioxidant activity were more pronounced in rotary evaporation compared to microwave heating method.     

Colour studies on fruit juice blends from Opuntia and Hylocereus cacti and betalain-containing model solutions derived therefrom

The visual appearance and pigment stability of fruit juice blends from Opuntia and Hylocereus cacti and of betalain-containing model solutions derived therefrom were investigated at pH values ranging from 3 to 7. All samples were found to be stable as indicated by betalain contents as well as hue and chroma values over the complete pH range monitored. Both the juice and the purified betaxanthin solution from Opuntia ficus-indica cv. ‘Gialla’ were characterised by yellowish hues, while the juice and the purified betacyanin solution from Hylocereus polyrhizus displayed purplish tonalities. By blending the betaxanthin and betacyanin stock solutions, tailor-made hues covering the entire spectrum from bright yellow (h° = 84) to purplish-blue (h° = 333) were successfully produced. Since mixtures from purified betalains did not provide colour shades different from those obtained with raw cactus fruit juices, the use of the latter should be preferred both because of consumer-friendly labelling and improved pigment stability.     

Purification and identification of Capulin (Prunus serotina Ehrh) anthocyanins

Capulin (Prunus serotina Ehrh) anthocyanins were extracted from liquid nitrogen powdered epidermal tissue using acetone, the aqueous acetone extract partitioned with chloroform and purified in a C-18 solid-phase cartridge. pH-differential and bisulfite bleaching methods were used to determine monomeric anthocyanin content and polymeric color. Pigments were identified by spectral analyses, HPLC and mass spectroscopy. Information from HPLC profiles, saponification and acid hydrolysis of the capulin anthocyanins showed that the two major pigments were cyanidin-3-glucoside (34%) and cyanidin-3-rutinoside (63%), with no acylating groups. A third yellow/orange pigment (λ_max 480 nm, MW=632) possibly containing rutinose was detected by MS.     

Polyphenolic contents in Citrus fruit juices: authenticity assessment

The contents of 49 polyphenols in sweet orange, tangerine, lemon and grapefruit juices from 18 cultivars grown in Spain were determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. Citrus polyphenolic profiles consist of 81–97 % of flavanones, 0.3–13.6 % of flavones, 0.1–6.0 % of flavonols, 0.6–9.6 % of hydroxycinnamic acids and 0.2–0.4 % of coumarins (only found in grapefruit juices). Several markers that allow to distinguish with practical certainty grapefruit and lemon juices between them and from the other Citrus species are reported. Each of these markers is a reliable and useful tool to detect juice adulteration. Grapefruit juice markers were naringenin-7-O-neohesperidoside, naringenin-7-O-neohesperidoside-4′-O-glucose, naringenin-O-hexosylhexoside, hesperetin-7-O-neohesperidoside, naringenin-O-rhamnosylmalonylhexoside, isosakuranetin-7-O-neohesperidoside, hesperetin-7-O-rutinoside, apigenin-6-C-hexoside-O-hexoside, apigenin-7-O-neohesperidoside and scopoletin-O-hexoside. Lemon juice markers were eriodictyol-7-O-rutinoside-4′-O-glucoside, eriodictyol-7-O-rutinoside, diosmetin-6,8-di-C-glucoside, diosmetin-8-C-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-rutinoside, diosmetin-6-C-glucoside and diosmetin-6,8-di-C-hexosideacylhexoside. The markers naringenin-O-hexosylhexoside, apigenin-6-C-hexoside-O-hexoside, scopoletin-O-hexoside, diosmetin-8-C-glucoside and diosmetin-6,8-di-C-hexosideacylhexoside were detected, characterized and quantitatively determined in grapefruit and lemon juices for the first time by our research group, as far as the authors know. Classification models provided by LDA and PLS-DA correctly identify all sweet orange and tangerine juices. Moreover, PLS regression model determines the percentage (10–70 %) of tangerine juice used to adulterate sweet orange juice with a suitable confidence interval (RMSEP = 7 %).     

Characterisation and preliminary bioactivity determination of Berberis boliviana Lechler fruit anthocyanins

Berberis boliviana Lechler is a member of the Berberidaceae family that has a small edible red-purple berry. The plant is native to the Peruvian Andes and contains high amounts of anthocyanin pigments. The monomeric anthocyanin content, determined by a pH-differential method, was 7/100 g of seedless berries. Pigments were characterised by HPLC coupled to a photodiode array (PDA) and mass spectrophotometer (MS) detectors. Five aglycones and ten anthocyanins were found and identified as petunidin-3-glucoside (24.4%), delphinidin-3-glucoside (24.1%), malvidin-3-glucoside (22.1%), cyanidin-3-glucoside (10.2%), petunidin-3-rutinoside (7.15%), malvidin-3-rutinoside (4.9%), cyanidin-3-rutinoside (3.8%), delphinidin-3-rutinoside (2.6%), peonidin-3-glucoside (1.1%), and peonidin-3-rutinoside (0.9%).     

Anthocyanins and fruit colour in plums (Prunus domestica L.) during ripening

The accumulation of anthocyanins and the evolution of fruit colour were investigated during ripening of Prunus domestica L. Using HPLC, the fruit of the ‘Jojo’, ‘Valor’, ‘?a?anska rodna’ and ‘?a?anska najbolja’ cultivars were quantified for anthocyanins during a 25-day period of ripening (a 33-day period in the case of ‘Jojo’). The major anthocyanin was cyanidin 3-rutinoside which, in ripe fruits, ranged from 4.1 to 23.4 mg/100 g FW (from 52.6% to 73.0%). It was followed by peonidin 3-rutinoside (from 6.5% to 37.9%), cyanidin 3-glucoside (from 1.8% to 18.4%), cyanidin 3-xyloside (from 4.7% to 7.8%) and peonidin 3-glucoside (from 0.0% to 0.4%). The ripening process resulted in a concentration increase of total anthocyanins and changed the ratios amongst the anthocyanins. The colour parameters, L^∗, a^∗, b^∗, chroma and hue angle, of partially ripe plums were higher than those in the ripe fruit, but the CIRG index of partially ripe fruit was always lower than that of ripe fruit. The total anthocyanins were weakly correlated with each of the colour parameters; their relationships varied between cultivars and ripening stage. Correlation coefficients between individual anthocyanins and colour parameters in ripe plums were cultivar-dependent.     

Antiproliferative effects of cherry juice and wine in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells and their phenolic constituents and antioxidant activities

Cherries are good sources of bioactive phenolic compounds that are widely considered to be potentially healthy. Here we investigated the protective activities of juice and wine products of tart and sweet cherries and their constituent anthocyanins (e.g., cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside) against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79-4). Total phenolics in the cherry juices and wines were 56.7–86.8 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/l and 79.4–149 mg GAE/l, respectively. Total anthocyanins in the cherry juices and wines were 7.9–50.1 mg of cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalents (CGE)/l and 29.6–63.4 mg CGE/l, respectively. Both cherry juices and wines exerted protective effects against oxidative stress induced by H₂O₂ on V79-4 cells and also enhanced the activities of antioxidative enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, in a dose-dependent manner. The protection of V79-4 cells from oxidative stress by phenolics was mainly attributable to anthocyanins. The positive correlation between the protective effects against oxidative stress in V79-4 cells and the antioxidant enzyme activities was stronger for cyanidin 3-glucoside than for cyanidin 3-rutinoside.     

Identification and characterisation of anthocyanins in the antioxidant activity-containing fraction of Liriope platyphylla fruits

The objective of this study was to investigate antioxidant activities and anthocyanin profiles in the fruits of Liriope platyphylla, where these are considered functional substances in Korea. The acidic methanol extract of this species exhibited potent antioxidant activities, showing 83.9% DPPH scavenging activity and 92.5% ABTS scavenging activity at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. Moreover, anthocyanins were identified by reversed-phase C₁₈ column chromatography, NMR spectroscopy, and HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis. Seven anthocyanins were characterised, including delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (1), delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside (2), cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (3), petunidin-3-O-glucoside (4), petunidin-3-O-rutinoside (5), malvidin-3-O-glucoside (6), and malvidin-3-O-rutinoside (7). Among these, petunidin-3-O-rutinoside (5) (7302.2 μg/g) and malvidin-3-O-rutinoside (7) (5776.1 μg/g) were the predominant anthocyanins, whereas the least prevalent anthocyanin was found to be cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (3) (64.9 μg/g). Therefore, our results suggest that strong antioxidant activities of the acidic methanol extract of L. platyphylla fruits are correlated with high anthocyanin contents, particularly the petunidin-3-O-rutinoside (5) and malvidin-3-O-rutinoside (7).     

Characterization and quantification of anthocyanins in grape juices obtained from the grapes cultivated in Korea by HPLC/DAD, HPLC/MS, and HPLC/MS/MS

The characterization and quantification of anthocyanins in grape cultivars of Oll-Meoru (Vitis coignetiaexVitis labrusca), Neut-Meoru (Vitis coignetiaexVitis labrusca), Muscal Bailey A. (Vitis labruscana), and Campbell Early (Vitis labruscaxV. vinifera) cultivated in Korea were carried out by partial purification through XAD-7 column chromatography followed by C-18 HPLC/diode array detector (DAD), HPLC/MS, and HPLC/MS/MS analyses. The column oven temperature during the reverse phase C-18 HPLC greatly affected the separation of individual anthocyanins. The result showed that the optimum column oven temperature was 35 degrees C. Sixteen different anthocyanins (11 nonacylated and 5 acylated anthocyanins) were identified in the grape juices. Oll-Meoru, Neut-Meoru, and Muscat Bailey A (MBA) grape juices contained only nonacylated anthocyanins. Oll-Meoru and Neut-Meoru grape juices had same anthocyanins, but their proportions were considerably different. Peonidin 3,5-diglucoside and malvidin 3,5-diglucoside were the major anthocyanins in Oll-Meoru grape juice. Delphinidin 3-glucoside was, however, the major anthocyanin in Neut-Meoru grape juice. Peonidin 3-glucoside and malvidin 3-glucoside were the most abundant anthocyanins in Muscal Bailey A grape juice. Campbell Early grape juice contained both nonacylated and acylated anthocyanins. Cyanidin 3-(p-coumaroyl)glucoside-5-glucoside and peonidin 3-(p-coumaroyl)glucoside-5-glucoside were the most abundant anthocyanins in Campbell Early grape juice. Total anthocyanin contents were greatly different in different grape jucies, with the highest in Neut-Meoru juice (1043.5 microg/mL), followed by Oll-Meoru (997.7 microg/mL), MBA (390.2 microg/mL), and Campbell Early (183.9 microg/mL) juices. The total anthocyanin content in Neut-Meoru grape juice was 5.67 times higher than that in Campbell Early grape juice. This represents the 1st report on the systematic characterization and quantification of anthocyanins in the juices of these grapes cultivated in Korea.     

Analytical characterization and the impact of ageing on anthocyanin composition and degradation in juices from five sour cherry cultivars

Five different sour cherry cultivars were processed to sour cherry juices in order to analyze their composition and the impact of storage on anthocyanin composition. Regarding primary juice parameters all cultivars showed high dry masses (13.8–17.2° Brix) and sugar free extracts (59.4–74.3 g/L). Anthocyanins were identified as cyanidin-3-(2^G-glucosylrutinoside), cyanidin-3-(2^G-xylosylrutinoside), cyanidin-3-sophoroside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, and peonidin-3-rutinoside. Besides the original anthocyanins, 5-carboxypyrano-anthocyanins occurred as new reaction products during storage. HPLC-MSⁿ experiments revealed, that a further ageing pigment was probably resulting from the reaction of an original anthocyanin with acetaldehyde. A significant decline of the original anthocyanin concentrations could be observed (70–75%) during 6 months of storage at 20 °C. Degradation kinetics of anthocyanins were calculated taking the reaction rate as first order. Colourless polyphenol concentrations and antioxidant capacities (TEAC) of the juices were not affected during storage.     

Influence of cultivar,maturity stage and geographical location on the juice pigmentation of Tunisian pomegranates

The anthocyanin pigmentaion of the juices obtained from six Tunisian pomegranate cultivars harvested at commercial maturity was studied by HPLC. The anthocyanin content in the juice ranged between 6 μg/ml and 120 μg/ml. Six anthocyanins, namely the 3-O-glucosides and the 3,5-diglucosides of pelargonidin, cyanidin and delphinidin, were detected in all samples. Differences in the relative amounts of each anthocyanin were found for the different cultivars. The total amount of anthocyanin pigmentation of pomegranate juice was largely affected by the variety, the maturation stage and the geographical location of the fruit, but the anthocyanin profile remained quite stable under the different conditions. The anthocyanin profile constituted by the six pigments seems to be identical to those reported previously for Californian, Spanish and Italian pomegranates, and only differences in the relative amounts of the individual anthocyanins could be related to the variety and other climatic and cultural variables. These data suggest that the HPLC anthocyanin profile of pomegranate juice could be used as an adjunct in its analytical characterization, and in the differentiation with other anthocyanincontaining juices in food authenticity studies.     

Antioxidant capacity,phenolic composition and microbial stability of aronia juice subjected to high hydrostatic pressure processing

The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (200–600 MPa/15 min) and storage (4 °C/80 days) on aronia juice quality. The total antioxidant capacity, phenolic content and composition were assessed using an updated analytical strategy. Microbial growth was also analyzed following juice storage. Among all the analyzed juices, the untreated aronia juice had the greatest reduction (36%) in total polyphenols over the entire storage period. At the end of the storage period, the pressurized juices demonstrated ABTS and FRAP values higher by 14% and 5% as compared to the untreated juices. The main antioxidants identified in the aronia juice were: chlorogenic acid; neochlorogenic acid; cyanidin 3-galactoside; cyanidin 3-xyloside; cyanidin 3-arabinoside; cyanidin 3-glucoside. Cyanidin 3-glucoside was the most stable compound during juice storage. Microorganism growth in juices pressurized at 400–600 MPa was below the detection limit (< 1 CFU mL^− 1) upon storage.Industrial relevanceAronia berries are rarely consumed fresh since they give off several negative sensory attributes. Multiple health-promoting properties of aronia berries make them a valuable raw material for juice production. However, processing involves pasteurization or hot-filling strongly diminishes the product quality due to the changes in quantity and quality of thermolabile phytochemicals. The objective of this work was to characterize the effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the antioxidant capacity, polyphenol content and composition and microbial stability of aronia juice. Results of this study may be useful for the juice industry commercialize this technology for the development healthy, nonclarified aronia juices with desired level of quality.     

Identification and quantification of anthocyanins in the berries of Pistacia lentiscus L., Phillyrea latifolia L. and Rubia peregrina L.

Anthocyanin composition in the berries of Pistacia lentiscus L., Phillyrea latifolia L. and Rubia peregrina L., three wild shrubs which are widely distributed in the Mediterranean region, was determined for the first time. The pigments were extracted from the berries with 0.1% HCl methanol solution, purified on a C-18 solid-phase cartridge and characterized by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–diode array detection (DAD)–mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. The major anthocyanin of P. lentiscus berries has been identified as cyanidin 3-O-glucoside. Delphinidin 3-O-glucoside and cyanidin 3-O-arabinoside have also been found in minor quantities. The major anthocyanin in the extracts of P. latifolia and R. peregrina berries was cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside. Low quantities of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside have also been found. The attractive color and the great abundance of these plants in the Mediterranean area make them a new and very good source of natural pigments and antioxidant agents.