Anthocyanin antioxidants from edible fruits

The edible fruits of 12 plants were extracted in methanol and subjected to solvent-solvent partitioning to yield three fractions, hexane, ethyl acetate, and aqueous. The semi-purified aqueous fractions were separated over Diaion HP-20SS resin to remove sugars and ascorbic acid. These fractions were then screened for antioxidant activity using the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay. Nine of the semi-purified fractions exhibited high antioxidant capacity. Cyanidin-3-O-beta-glucopyranoside, an anthocyanin antioxidant, was identified from semi-purified aqueous fractions of the tropical fruit star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito), Surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora), and jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora). Delphinidin-3-O-beta-glucopyranoside was identified from E. uniflora. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.