Determination of Anthocyanin Content in Red Napa Cabbage Extract

Napa cabbage (NC) contains many components with bioactivities recognized to have effects on chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Additionally, anthocyanins possess various bioactivities, including improvements in cognitive function and cardiovascular disease prevention. However, previous research on the anthocyanin content of red napa cabbage (RNC) has not yet been conducted. Therefore, our study investigated the anthocyanin content and composition of RNC. Analysis using LC-MS/MS revealed that anthocyanins are present in RNC but not in NC. Qualitative analysis of the RNC water extract and 50% ethanol (EtOH) extract identified cyanidin-3-sinapoyldiglucoside-5-glucoside and cyanidin-3-(feruloyl)-diglucoside-5-glucoside. Quantitative analysis showed that the water extract contained 13.8% and 8.5%, while the 50% ethanol extract contained 7.9% and 4.2%. The total anthocyanin content was found to be 22.3 ± 0.3% in the RNC water extract and 16.4 ± 0.5% in the 50% ethanol extract, whereas NC exhibited very low levels. This study demonstrates that the RNC water extract has a high anthocyanin content.