Anthocyanins are naturally occurring compounds that impart color to fruits, vegetables, and plants. This study aims to optimize the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) conditions of anthocyanins from mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.) using response surface methodology (RSM). A Box-Behnken experiment was employed in this regard. Methanol concentration, microwave power, and extraction time were chosen as independent variables. The optimized conditions of MAE were as follows: 59.6% acidified methanol, 425 W power, 25 (v/w) liquid-to-solid ratio, and 132 s time. Under these conditions, 54.72 mg anthocyanins were obtained from 1.0 g mulberry powder. Furthermore, 8 anthocyanins were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) in mulberry extract. The results showed that cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside are the major anthocyanins in mulberry. In addition, in comparison with conventional extraction, MAE is more rapid and efficient for extracting anthocyanins from mulberry.
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