Determination of anthocyanins, organic acids, and phenolic acids in hibiscus market products using LC/UV/MS

Abstract

AbstractHibiscus sabdariffa has gained increasing attention from consumers as a natural, healthy food ingredient, leading to a myriad of available products, yet there is a lack of understanding of the quality and chemical diversity among commercially available hibiscus products. Here, we conducted a survey on the chemistry of 29 hibiscus products (calyces, beverages, and extracts). UHPLC‐DAD and UHPLC‐QQQ/MS methods with high sensitivity and selectivity were developed to evaluate the chemical profiles pertaining to the sensory attributes (color and taste). Two major anthocyanins (delphinidin‐3‐sambubioside and cyanindin‐3‐sambubioside), eight organic acids, and 23 phenolic acids were identified and quantified in hibiscus market products. The results showed that hibiscus samples contained < 0.001–2.372% of total anthocyanins, 0.073–78.002% of total organic acids, and 0.001–1.041% of total phenolic acids, and demonstrated significant variations in market products. This is the first time that an in‐depth organic acid profiling was conducted on hibiscus products using UHPLC‐QQQ/MS. This method can also be extended to chemical profiling, sensory analysis, quality control, authentication, and standardization of other natural products.