Anthocyanin Pigments of Sour Cherries

Fresh fruits of tart cherries (Prunus cerasus L. var. Montmorency) were extracted with acidic methanol. The anthocyanin pigments were isolated and purified by conventional paper chromatography. They were identified by spectral and R f data and by acid hydrolysis. The pigments were cy anidin‐3‐glucosylrutinoside, cyanidin‐3‐glucosylsambubioside, cyani‐din‐3‐sophoroside, cyanidin‐3‐rutinoside, cyanidin‐3‐glucoside and peoni‐din‐3‐rutinoside. No free cyanidin or peonidin was found. Cyanidin‐3‐glucosylsambubioside, reported in cherries for the first time, was also found in the varieties of English Morello, Early Richmond and Meteor