The purpose of this study was an examination on the stability and colour
enhancement of red grape pomace anthocyanins in a juice model matrix, and the
effect of the addition of natural antioxidants. The approach was based on a
juice-like liquid medium (10.1?Brix, pH 3.48), which was used as the model
matrix to test the effect of the addition of natural antioxidants
(L-cysteine, ascorbic acid, catechin and quercetin) on the degradability of
anthocyanin pigments, extracted from grape pomace. It was found that
treatment of the model solutions at 80?C induced anthocyanin decomposition,
which obeyed first order kinetics. Addition of increasing amounts of
antioxidants, including L-cysteine, ascorbic acid, catechin and quercetin,
did not provoke a proportional impact, either positive or negative, with
regard to anthocyanin stability. The best stabilising effect was seen after
addition of ascorbic acid and catechin at concentrations of 4 and 2 mg L-1,
respectively (P < 0.001). Quercetin, however, was demonstrated a very
efficient co-pigment, inducing an increase in A520 by 63%, at pH 5.6 and a
copigment-to-pigment ratio of 10.