Anthocyanin is attributed for the red/purple color of many fruits and vegetables. Of these, red cabbage can be used as a pH indicator because it changes colors as the pH is changed. It has been stated that the anthocyanin is the reason for all the color changes and these color changes are reversible. In this research red cabbage was extracted using various solvents (such as water, ethanol, methanol, etc.). The various extracts pH was changed via serial dilution of an acid and a base. It was found that the fully basic form of the red cabbage extract was not reversible, but the fully acidic form was. Additionally, it was determined that the fully acidic form was very hydroscopic. The red cabbage extract was found to interact with silica gel, some of the colored species eluted through the column, while others bind to the column. The components that bound to the column could be eluted by using acidic or basic solutions as eluents. Spectroscopy was used to characterize the various solutions. Based on these observations it was concluded that the different colors based on pH is due to different components. Isolation of the different color components at each pH was attempted.

Extraction of red cabbage and investigation of the various colors based upon pH

256th National Meeting (2018)

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