Planta Med 2010; 76 - P262
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1264560

Obtaining of anthocyanins from red cabbage using different solvents mixtures and treatments

K Ravichandran 1, N Saw 1, D Hunaefi 1, I Smetanska 1
  • 1Technical University of Berlin, Methods of Food Biotechnology, Königin-Luise Str 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany

Secondary metabolites from plants exhibit health-promoting properties and their use as pharmaceuticals, which is of current interest in food industry. Increase concern on the safety of synthetic colorants in food has led to more attention on natural colorants as food additives as alternative. In our studies, red cabbage which has high concentration of anthocyanins, was treated with different solvent mixtures of ethanol and also with different temperature for extraction and anthocyanin conttent measured by spectrophotometry. 50% ethanol resulted in highest concentration of anthocyanin extraction. Interestingly, hot water extraction also resulted in high concentration. Storage temperature, time and treatments like refrigeration, freezing and freeze drying of samples for a period of 4 weeks were also evaluated. The anthocyanin content was reduced considerably in the refrigerated samples when compared to the freezed and freeze-dried samples. This shows the effect of time and temperature as treatment parameters which affect the availability of plant secondary metabolites.

Key words: anthocyanin, red cabbage, solvent, refrigeration, freezing and freeze-drying.