Characterization of Acylated Anthocyanins in Red Cabbage via Comprehensive Two-Dimensional High Performance Liquid Chromatography and HPLC-MS

Abstract

Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Var. Capiata L.) is a fresh edible vegetable abundant in acylated anthocyanins with high antioxidant properties and is a promising resource for the functional food industry. Anthocyanin characterization of red cabbage is not a new topic, but the predominant anthocyanins have been co-eluted using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) because of their similar polarities, and it was difficult to achieve a baseline separation of anthocyanins in red cabbage. In the present paper, we optimized the separation of anthocyanins using a two-dimensional HPLC system (2DLC). Using a selective separation column, adjusting the switching time, and optimizing the elution program, seven anthocyanins were separated quickly with a good resolution, and identified via HPLC-mass spectrometry. Therefore, the 2DLC technique proved to be a powerful method of qualitative and quantitative analysis for the anthocyanins of red cabbage. Additionally, this method provides a good reference for the separation of acylated anthocyanins in fruits and vegetables. Practical Applications Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Var. Capiata L.) is a fresh edible vegetable abundant in acylated anthocyanins with high antioxidant properties, and is a promising resource for the functional food industry. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a two-dimensional HPLC system (2DLC) method for the separation of acylated anthocyanins from red cabbage, which provides a good reference for the separation of acylated anthocyanins in fruits and vegetables. And there are many thousands of scientists whose work involve flavonoids, and our work offers a clear example of how new analytical approaches can be employed to increase analytical resolution and therefore enable researchers to clarify previously ambiguous or confounding results. We believe our findings are of interest to readers in food analysis, post-harvest and storage physiology, and to plant biologists that are trying to solve biochemical questions that previous analytical methods have failed to address adequately.