Anthocyanins of Basil Leaves: Determination and Preparation of Dried Encapsulated Forms

Abstract

Anthocyanins composition of five purple leaves cultivars of Ocimum basilicum L. was investigated by reversed-phase HPLC with mass-spectrometric detection in the conditions of ions partial fragmentation as well as preparation of dried differently colored forms of anthocyanins encapsulated into maltodextrin matrix. Mass-spectra analysis revealed that according to anthocyanin set basil cultivars under investigation may be divided onto two groups with common feature being high level of acylation with (mainly) p-coumaric, ferulic and malonic acids of the same base – cyanidin-3-dihexoside-5-hexoside. The presence of acylation with substituted cinnamic acids permits to obtain solutions not only with red color (the property of the flavylium form) but also with blue shades coloration due to quinoid and negatively charged quinoid forms. All forms exept of flavylium are not stable in solution but stable enough to prepare dried encapsulated forms by lyophilization. And thou the loss of anthocyanins at drying is not negligible the final product is characterized with high stability at storage in refrigerator.