LAUSR

Abstract Anthocyanins can be used as natural pigments and health-promoting components. The extraction methods of obtaining those phytocompounds are of particular interest. Therefore, the objective of the presented study was to evaluate the possibility of using water-glycerol systems for the acquisition of anthocyanin extracts from fruits of black chokeberry and from elderberry fruits. Glycerol is characterised by a lower polarity compared to water, due to which its presence enhances the efficiency of extraction of anthocyanins from the plant material. It was demonstrated that the highest concentration of anthocyanins was obtained for a water-glycerol system with 50 % glycerol concentration, at extraction temperatures of 20°C and 50°C. The extraction system with 65 % glycerol content was optimal in the case of extraction conducted at temperature of 80°C. The study showed that glycerol can be an alternative solvent in the extraction of anthocyanins, replacing e.g. ethanol which for various reasons cannot always be used in food products, due to e.g. age or health-related limitations.