ABSTRACT
Anthocyanins are a group of soluble pigments that signicantly contribute to the red-blue coloration of many, fruits, vegetables, and owers. The term from the Greek anthos = ower and cyan = blue, is referred to a group of avonoids having a positive charge on the oxygenated C ring at acidic pH values. Effectively, as better discussed later, the control of pH is a fundamental step when someone wants to work with this class of molecules. The nomenclature of these pigments, according to a general rule applied also to other classes of natural substances, requires a longer name for the aglycones (anthocyanidins) and a shorter one for the linked forms (anthocyanins). Anyway, this word and also the less-used term, anthocyans, usually include both the free and glycosylated forms of this group. Until 1988 were recognized 256 different anthocyanins, in 1999, the number was increased to 453, in 2000, this value was close to 560 different structures (Andersen 2000), and about the same number was successively conrmed (Andersen and Jordheim 2006).
