HPLC_MS characterization of the antocyanin fraction of italian sweet cherry (prunus avium L.)

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) are very attractive fruits for their taste and color attributes, as well as for their abundance of nutrients. Emilia Romagna Region, in conjunction with Puglia, Campania and Veneto, is one of the most typical production areas, and the harvests from Vignola area, where many sweet cherry cultivars are grown, are well known and appreciated. Cherry is rich in phenolic compounds (Usenik et al. 2008), principally known for its antioxidant properties, particularly useful against free radicals and diseases derived from them. The main phenolic antioxidants found in cherries are anthocyanins. Anthocyanins, responsible for the color of the fruit and the pulp (Mylnikov et al. 2005), represent a wide class of molecules, belonging to the family of flavonoids, phenolic substances widely distributed in the plant kingdom. This class of molecules is well known for their health-promoting effects, in particular for their free radical scavenging ability, which helps preventing cancer, cardiovascular diseases and retarding the aging process. In the present study, we characterized the anthocyanin fraction of 9 sweet cherry cultivars, grown in an experimental field of Vignola (Emilia Romagna). To achieve our purpose, it was developed an extraction and purification method by SPE. The anthocyanin fraction extracted was then characterized by HPLC-MS. The identification was carried out by analysing the MS and MS2 fragmentation pattern and by comparing our results with literature data. Eight molecules have been identified in all. The Moretta is distinguished from other cultivars for the high anthocyanin content. This study aims to enhance the cherry fruit quality, focusing on healthy compoundss, especially considering the recent achievement of the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) designation of origin in 2012.