Characterization of Acylated Anthocyanins in Red Cabbage via Comprehensive Twodimensional High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Hplcms

Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Var. Capiata L.) is a fresh edible vegetable abundant in acylated anthocyanins with high antioxidant properties and is a promising resource for the functional food industry. Anthocyanin characterization of red cabbage is not a new topic, but the predominant anthocyanins have been coeluted using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) because of their similar polarities, and it was difficult to achieve a baseline separation of anthocyanins in red cabbage. In the present paper, we optimized the separation of anthocyanins using a two-dimensional HPLC system (2DLC). Using a selective separation column, adjusting the switching time, and optimizing the elution program, seven anthocyanins were separated quickly with a good resolution, and identified via HPLC-mass spectrometry. Therefore, the 2DLC technique proved to be a powerful method of qualitative and quantitative analysis for the anthocyanins of red cabbage. Additionally, this method provides a good reference for the separation of acylated anthocyanins in fruits and vegetables.