Metabolite profiling of pigments from acid-hydrolysed persimmon (Diospyros kaki) extracts by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MSn analysis

• Acid-hydrolysed persimmon extracts were analysed by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MSn.
• Detailed metabolite profiling of pigments was performed.
• Delphinidin, petunidin, cyanidin and peonidin were detected.
• Galloyled flavanol-anthocyanidin adducts were tentatively identified.

Pigments profile from acid-hydrolysed “Rojo Brillante” persimmon (Diospyros kaki) extracts was elucidated by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection coupled to tandem mass spectrometry analysis with positive electrospray ionization (HPLC-DAD-ESI+/MSn). In total, seventeen anthocyanidin-based aglycones were tentatively identified: four free anthocyanidins (delphinidin, petunidin, cyanidin and peonidin) and, for the first time in a naturally derived extract, thirteen 3-O-galloyl-flavanol-anthocyanidin adducts (dimers formed by a galloylated (epi)catechin or (epi)gallocatechin with an anthocyanidin). Furthermore, evidences of non-galloylated flavanol-anthocyanidin adducts were also found in the samples studied. The developed methodology, which included the use of a routine three-dimensional ion trap, represents an affordable solution to achieve detailed metabolite profiles of foodstuffs.