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-β-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-β-glucopyranoside was identified from E. uniflora.