What are other pigments present in black raspberries?
The rich color of black raspberries comes from numerous chemicals of the phenolic super-family that is a class of several thousands of members serving plants as pigments. Black raspberry antioxidant strength is proportional to the intensity of the dye from its pigments. A major subgroup of pigment phenolics is the flavonoid group that is densely populated in blackcaps. One flavonoid class in particular — anthocyanins — accounts for most of the blue-red-black pigmentation of black raspberries. In addition to anthocyanins, however, are ellagic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, rutin and cyanidin glycosides (phenolics identified by Dr. Stoner and colleagues as important anticarcinogens in blackcaps). Vitamin C, a universal antioxidant, is also well concentrated in black raspberries (about 2 mg per 100 grams of fruit), as is calcium (32 mg per 100 grams).
