Temperature Dependency of Shelf and Thermal Stabilities of Anthocyanins from Corn Distillers' Dried Grains with Solubles in Different Ethanol Extracts and a Commercially Available Beverage

The objective was to determine the shelf and thermal stabilities of anthocyanins from distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) extracted with different ethanol concentrations as well as a semi-purified Maiz Morado (purple corn) anthocyanin extract added to a commercially available beverage. Storage for 6 weeks of DDGS showed an overall reduction of anthocyanins from 6.8 to 73.7%. In DDGS, an ethanol increase from 0 to 25% resulted in less sensitivity of anthocyanin to temperature changes. Acylation resulted in faster degradation and higher reaction rate constants than their corresponding non-acylated forms. Anthocyanin changes were accompanied by an overall increase in lightness and a decrease in redness. Storage of beverage for 12 weeks at 4 °C resulted in a 25.5% reduction of anthocyanin. Results have important implications in selecting colored corn as an economical source of food colorants.