Prunus mahaleb L. fruit extracts: a novel source for natural food pigments

There is an increasing consumer and retailer demand for new natural colorants. Anthocyanins are a class of molecules already used as water-soluble natural colorant and for their health effects. Prunus mahaleb L. is a tree native to the Mediterranean area, producing highly pigmented small-stone fruits currently not used for fresh consumption due to their astringent and sour taste. In the present study, we set up a protocol to obtain a “mahaleb fruit concentrated extract” (mfce) and characterized it chemically by high-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection. Anthocyanins, flavonols, flavanols, coumarin, sugars, ascorbic acid and organic acids were identified and quantified. After characterization, the antioxidant capacity of the mfce was assayed in vitro by three different methods: Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity and Folin–Ciocalteu assays. The concentrated extract produced and characterized in this study showed a high content of anthocyanins, flavonols and coumarin and a strong antioxidant capacity. Therefore, mfce may be of interest as a natural food colorant and as an ingredient in the formulation of functional foods.