title: Bilberry adulteration: identification and chemical profiling of anthocyanins by different analytical methods.
abstract: Extracts of the bilberry fruit have protective effects against retinopathy and vascular complications; therefore, they are important ingredients in food supplements. Recently, there have been several reported cases of adulteration. Thus, to characterize the anthocyanin profile, and the relative percentages of these pigments, this study analyzed bilberry fruits from different countries by liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector and a mass spectrometer detector. A total of 15 anthocyanins were identified, and a fingerprint profile was used for the quality control of the target material. Fourteen bilberry extracts and 12 finished products labeled as bilberry from different marketing manufacturers were analyzed. Approximately 50% of these extracts differed significantly from the reference bilberry, suggesting possible adulteration. Approximately 60% of the extracts and 33% of the food supplements presented a lower anthocyanin content than declared. The adulterations were observed mainly with extracts of mulberry and chokeberry.
authors.affiliation: DeFENS - Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gardana
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ciappellano
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marinoni
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fachechi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simonetti
mesh_terms: D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D029800:Vaccinium myrtillus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: LC-DAD-MS; Vaccinium myrtillus; adulteration; anthocyanins; chemical profiling