Characterization of Anthocyanins in Sweet Potato Shoots

Abstract

We previously selected an anthocyanin‐enriched purple‐fleshed sweet potato P40 that prevented colorectal cancer in a murine model. The objectives of this study was to characterize anthocyanins in P40 shoots used as common edible greens. Eight anthocyanins have been identified and quantified in leaves of P40 by HPLC‐MS/MS, whereas fourteen anthocyanins have been found in the control white‐fleshed Bonita and orange‐fleshed Beauregard. The three most abundant anthocyanins were cyanidin 3‐caffeoyl‐p‐hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside‐5‐glucoside, peonidin 3‐caffeoyl sophoroside‐5‐glucoside, and cyanidin 3‐(6″‐caffeoyl‐6″‐feruloylsophoroside)‐5‐glucoside, which comprised up to 58% of total anthocyanins in leaves of P40. The content of anthocyanins in leaves of P40 (17 mg/kg dry matter) was much lower than that in the flesh (13,000 mg/kg dry matter). No anthocyanin was detectable in the stem. The content of anthocyanins in P40 greens was also much lower than that in the Bonita (563 mg/kg dry matter) and Beauregard (334 mg/kg dry matter). The total phenolic content in leaves of P40, as measured by Folin‐Ciocalteu, was 36.8±4.8 mg GAE/g dry weight, compared with Bonita at 46.7±2.1mg GAE/g dry weight and Beauregard at 41.2±5.0 mg GAE/g dry weightSupport or Funding Informationsupported by USDA Cooperative KS511‐1001903