Identification of anthocyanin derivatives in grape skin extracts and red wines by liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometric detection

The different options MS detection are investigated in order to achieve the best conditions far detection and identification of anthocyanins by LC-MS. A method for separation of these compounds that enables the main molecules in wines to be identified by direct analysis, without any previous prepara tion, is proposed. The anthocyanin composition of different red grape skin extracts and commercial monovarietal wines were determined by this method. Some recently described anthocyanin derivatives that are supposed to be for med during wine maturation were also investigated. Results showed that some of these derivatives are present in grape and young wine. The combination of diode array detection and MS analysis has been demonstrated to be essent ial for identification of anthocyanin derivatives. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.