The formation of anthocyanin-metal chelates, exhibiting intense blue colours was monitored over a period up to 10 weeks. Evaluating normalised absorption spectra in the range of 580-700 nm and their proportion of the total area under the curve (AUC), provided information about the blue colour hue, intensity and stability. Colour stability in model solutions containing commercial sugar beet pectin or an isolated pectic polysaccharide fraction (PPF) therefrom, both being naturally enriched in aluminium and ferric ions, was assessed in a pH range of 3.6-7.0. The pectic structures stabilised anthocyanin-metal chelates, and thus blue colours by efficiently preventing complex precipitation. Highest bathochromic shifts and most intense blue colours were observed in PPF model solutions containing delphinidin-3-glucoside (Dpd-3-glc), exhibiting a pyrogallol moiety in the flavylium B-ring, compared to cyanidin- (Cyd-3-glc) and petunidin-3-glucoside (Pet-3-glc), both carrying a catechol substituted B-ring. Hue and intensity of the blue colour at pH 5.0 were only insignificantly influenced by the buffer system except for citrate and phosphate buffers, which both annihilated anthocyanin-metal chelate formation. The blue colours faded following first order kinetics. Best stabilities as deduced from storage experiments performed at 20 ± 2°C in the dark were observed for Dpd-3-glc. In contrast, Cyd-3-glc displayed shortened half-life values, whereas blue Pet-3-glc chelates decomposed rapidly. These results demonstrate that the solubilisation of anthocyanin-metal chelates by pectic structures is a promising option for developing water soluble natural blue food colourants.
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