Article ID: 26020
In this study, HPLC and LC-MS/MS analyses were conducted to identify the pigments in red hypertrophic rhizomes and petals of the red rhizome lotus ‘Tomohiro’. The results revealed the presence of six anthocyanins in the rhizomes of ‘Tomohiro’: delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, petunidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-glucoside, peonidin 3-glucoside, and malvidin 3-glucoside. Accordingly, the rhizomes of ‘Tomohiro’ may offer potential value not only for their vibrant color but also for possible health benefits. These six anthocyanins were also identified in the petals. Pelargonidin has not been previously reported in the petals of either edible or ornamental lotus cultivars, suggesting that crossbreeding with ‘Tomohiro’ could contribute to the development of ornamental lotus cultivars with novel flower colors. Both rhizomes and petals of ‘Tomohiro’ contained the same anthocyanins, potentially reflecting identical anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways in these two organs. However, the anthocyanin composition differed between the rhizomes and petals, as reflected by the relative peak areas, suggesting minor differences in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes across these organs.
