Analytical method for buddleja colorants in foods

Buddleja yellow colorant derived from Buddleja officinalis Maxim. has recen tly been approved for use as a new kind of natural colorant for food additi ves in China. In order to distinguish Buddleja yellow colorant from other y ellow colorants, two known phenylpropanoid glycosides, acteoside (=verbasco side) and poliumoside, were isolated from the colorant as marker substances for Buddleja yellow colorant. Poliumoside has not been detected in B. offi cinalis Maxim. previously. These phenylpropanoid glycosides were not detect ed in the fruits of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis or in the stamens of the flo wers of Crocus sativus L., which also contain crocetin derivatives as color ing components, using a photodiode array and mass chromatograms. Thus, an a nalytical HPLC method was developed to distinguish foods that have been col ored with yellow colorants containing crocetin derivatives, using phenylpro panoid glycosides as markers.