Anthocyanin analysis by HPLC/ESI-MS

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the separation of anthocyanins in red wine has been developed. Sixty-six different anthocyanins were detected in a single red wine sample produced in 1997 by coupling HPLC and an electrospray interface with a mass spectrometer. These 66 anthocyanins were mostly well-known mono- and diglucosides of wines. In addition, the rare acetic acid ester and coumaric acid ester of the diglucosides could be identified. Some recently described and some new anthocyanin-derived pigments formed by wine maturation were also detected. Catechin dimers as well as pyruvic acid and acetaldehyde derivatives of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin were present in the one-year-old wine, the latter also in their acetylated and coumarylated forms.