FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2010, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (5): 58-62.doi: 10.7506/spkx1002-6300-201005014

• Basic Research • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Color Enhancing Effect Caffeic Acid on Purple Corn Anthocyanins

MU Ni,WU Hai-hao,GU Ying-juan,FAN Gong-jian,YANG Zhen-dong,GU Zhen-xin*   

  1. College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
  • Received:2009-06-05 Online:2010-03-01 Published:2010-12-29
  • Contact: GU Zhen-xin E-mail:guzx@njau.edu.cn

Abstract:

The effect of caffeic acid on absorption spectrum, color and composition of anthocyanins extracted from purple corn cobs were investigated. Results showed that caffeic acid resulted in the increase of color intensity and the blue-shift of maximum absorption peak of anthocyanin solution. This suggests the color enhancing effect of caffeic acid on anthocyanins. Thermal stability experiments also exhibited that caffeic acid could inhibit the fading rate of anthocyanins, and increase their half-life and activation energy. High performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) analysis results demonstrate that the color enhancing effect of anthocyanins is achieved via the production of cyanidin-3-glucosedevinylcatechol, pelargonidin-3-glucosede-vinylcatechol and peonidin-3-glucosede-vinylcatechol as a result of addition reaction between cafeic acid and anthocyanins.

Key words: purple corn, anthocyanin, caffeic acid, color enhancing effect

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