SUNNYVALE, CA (Dec 2011)—Thermo Fisher Scientific is pleased to announce a simple, sensitive, rapid, and accurate new method to separate and quantify anthocyanins in different commercially available nutraceutical products with minimal sample preparation. Application Note 281: Rapid and Sensitive Determination of Anthocyanins in Bilberries Using UHPLC demonstrates the use of a high-resolution silica-based Thermo Scientific Acclaim® RSLC 120 C18 column and absorbance at 520 nm to separate and detect 15 anthocyanins and five anthocyanidins in 30 minutes, compared to competing methods with run times of 50 minutes or greater.

Bilberry extracts are widely used in nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals for improving visual acuity and treating circulatory disorders. Chemical and pharmacological studies have identified anthocyanins as the main components responsible for the therapeutic effect of the extracts that are used in these supplements. Therefore, a reliable, simple, and reproducible analytical method is needed to determine anthocyanins in bilberry-based nutraceutical products to ensure their efficacy.

This application note and many others can be found at www.thermoscientific.com/dionex under the Documents tab.