Three-way chemometric method study and UV-Vis absorbance for the study of simultaneous degradation of anthocyanins in flowers of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensys species

Ultraviolet-visible spectra of flower extracts of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensys L. var. regius maximus species have been measured between 240.02 and 747.97 nm at pH values ranging from 1.1 to 13.0. Deconvolution of these spectra using the Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) model permitted the study of anthocyanin systems without isolation and purification of the individual species. Seven species were identified: flavilium cation, carbinol, quinoidal base, and E and Z-chacone and their ionized forms. The concentration changes of flavilium cation, quinoidal basen, and E and Z ionized chalcones were determined as function of pH at the different wavelengths. The flavilium cation, quinoidal base, and ionized E-clacone are involved in tho stage kinetic processes, a fast one followed by a slower one. Ionized Z-chalcone obeys a simple first-order processes. The spectral profiles recovered by PARAFAC model are in excellent agreement with bands of experimental spectra reported in the literature for the individual species measured at specific pH values. These results complement those obtained using chemical and simple mathematical techniques and demonstrate how chemometric methods can resolve problems for complex systems. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.