QUANTITATIVE CHANGES IN ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENTS OF VITIS-VINIFERA CV MONASTRELL DURING MATURATION

The evolution of anthocyanin pigments of a Monastrell grape (Vitis vinifera L) cultivar during maturation has been assessed by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Only anthocyanin 3-glucosides and their p-coumaryl esters were detected in the skin extracts of this cultivar. Total anthocyanin content increased from 310.25 mg kg-1 fresh weight at the beginning of ripening (20 August) to 1139.83 mg kg-1 when the grapes reached physiological maturity (24 September). Monoglucoside pigments accounted for between 87 and 82% of the total pigment content, and malvidin-3-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin throughout the sampling period. Peonin-derived pigments were least abundant at the beginning of ripening, but at maturity the cyanidin derivative content was the lowest.