Plant-derived anthocyanin extract for qualitative test of food additives and preservatives

Abstract

In this study, anthocyanin was extracted from purple cabbage and skin of vigna cylindrica skeels in aqueous solution at room temperature. The anthocyanin extracts indicated the pH-dependent color changes, envisaging the detection of the chemicals involving urea, nitrite, benzoate, formaldehyde and borax. The response time of the tests was quickly (either immediately or less than 5 min) and the solution colors were stable until 1 hour, offering the good sensitivities towards formaldehyde (detection limit of 250 ppm) and borax (detection limit of 10 ppm).