Comparative efficiency of different solvents for the anthocyanins extraction from chokeberries and black carrots, to preserve their antioxidant activity

Anthocyanins occur naturally in many blue-, purple- and red-colored fruits and vegetables, and are commonly found in the human diet as natural colorants with proven health benefits. This work aimed to find the most efficient solvents for the anthocyanins extraction from natural matrices (chokeberries and black carrots), able to preserve their antioxidant activity. Four different acidified solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetone, and water) were tested and the extracts were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry. The anthocyanins profile of each extract has been identified. Five monoglycosylated anthocyanins were found in chokeberries and ten anthocyanins (four acylated and four diglycosylated) in black carrots. The antioxidant activities of all extracts (using ABTS, CUPRAC and FRAP assays) were determined concomitantly and ranked. The most efficient extraction was obtained using ethanol and methanol, such extracts showing the highest antioxidant activity for both matrices (black carrots and chokeberry).