Purification of anthocyanins from saskatoon berries and their microencapsulation in deep eutectic solvents

In the study, the extraction, purification, identification and microencapsulation of anthocyanins from saskatoon berries were investigated. 4.48 ± 0.03 mg/ml of anthocyanins were obtained under the optimum extraction conditions that were 69% (v/v) acidified ethanol, 1:15 solid-liquid ratio and 3 times continuous extraction at 68 °C for 90 min. The AB-8 resin was selected to further purify and enrich anthocyanins based on its superior adsorption and desorption capacity. The purity of the obtained fraction by 80% acidized ethanol reached 92.1%, from which cyanidin-3-O-galactoside was identified by FTIR, LC-MS and NMR. In addition, microencapsulated anthocyanins, obtained using a deep eutectic solvent (DES), showed significantly improved stability in response to changes in light, oxygen, moisture content and pH. Further, as reaction media, DES could be recycled. The results showed that the present anthocyanins’ modification process could be used for the preparation of anthocyanins with a high purity and stability from berry fruits as well as other plants.