Anthocyanin pigments of tulips

The complete structures of the four major anthocyanins in orange-red Tulipa 'Queen Wilhelmina' were found to be the novel pigments pelargonidin 3-O-[6 "-O-(2'"-O-acetyl-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-glucopyranoside] (34%) and cy anidin 3-O-[6"-O-(2"-O-acetyl-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-glucopyranoside] (11%) in addition to pelargonidin 3-O-(6"-O-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-beta-gluc opyranoside) (29%) and cyanidin 3-O-(6"-O-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-beta-glucop yranoside) (15%). These structures were elucidated on the basis of chromato graphy, one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy an d electrospray mass spectrometry. This is the first report of anthocyanins with acyl group linked to axial sugar position. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.