ADVANCES IN CHROMATOGRAPHIC AND SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF BLUE PEA PIGMENTS AND PHENOLICS

Abstract

Advances in chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques have transformed blue pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) into a model system for studying natural blue colorants and complex phenolic matrices. Flowers, teas, and seedscontain structurally diverse ternatintype anthocyanins, flavonols, and phenolic acids, the accurate characterization of which requires highresolution separation and detection platforms. Conventional colorimetric assays for “total anthocyanins” or “total phenolics” have therefore been superseded by integrated UHPLC–DAD, UHPLC–QTOF–HRMS, and tandem MS/MS workflows that resolve individual pigments, define their glycosylation and acylation patterns, and relate these to color expression, stability, and bioactivity. In parallel, greener extraction strategies, such as ultrasound and microwaveassisted extraction, often optimized by chemometric or responsesurface methodologies, have significantly improved the recovery of anthocyanins and coextracted polyphenols while reducing solvent use and processing time, enabling the scalable production of standardized, foodgrade extracts. Spectroscopic approaches, particularly UV–Vis with pHdifferential methods and CIELAB color analysis, provide rapid, non‑destructive monitoring of pigment equilibrium, thermal degradation, and formulation behavior, while NMR and advanced MSⁿ experiments deliver higher-order structural confirmation of newly reported anthocyanins and associated flavonols and phenolic acids. Collectively, these analytical and process innovations support a shift from bulk estimations to molecule‑level understanding, underpinning the rational design of blue peabased colorants and multifunctional phytochemical ingredients for foods, nutraceuticals and emerging smart‑packaging and delivery systems.