Abstract: This study elucidated the effects of sucrose degradation products, 2-furaldehyde (2-F) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), on the stability and antioxidant activity of anthocyanins under different processing and storage conditions. The results showed that during processing, controlling the temperature not more than 85 ℃ and the pH at 3.0 provided the best protection and highest retention rate for anthocyanins, as well as the strongest antioxidant activity. In addition, when the concentration of malic acid was below 0.1 mol/L and the mass fraction of VC was in the range of 0.05%–0.5%, the stability of anthocyanins was obviously disrupted. Dark storage reduced the generation of 2-F and 5-HMF, which in turn improved the stability of anthocyanins. These results provide a reference and technical guidance for the preparation and storage of anthocyanin products containing sucrose in the future, and are of great significance for maintaining the stability of anthocyanins during processing.

Key words: anthocyanins; 2-furaldehyde; 5-hydroxymethylfurfural; processing conditions; stability; antioxidant activity