Abstract

Preparations of pectic enzymes are used for more efficient extraction of desirable blackberry pigments, facilitating faster release. In this study, we validated the use of response surface methodology (RSM) for the optimization of enzymatic treatment for extraction of anthocyanins from blackberry juice. Tristimulus colorimetry was used to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the process. Our results showed that the optimal yield (639 g/L) of anthocyanins extracted from blackberries by this study’s enzymatic mixture was obtained under the following conditions: enzyme loading 0.2% and 52°C for 1.1 h. The yield of anthocyanins showed high correlations with lightness (L*) (r = -0.833), chroma (C*) (r = 0.796) and hue angle (h) (r = 0.752), and was significantly affected by the extraction temperature (p = 0.0011).

Key words: Anthocyanins, blackberry, response surface methodology, optimization, pectic enzyme.