Identification of colouring substances in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
Plant secondary compounds | Barley does not always have a yellowish colour: some cultivars have a violet, blue or black colour. Using various analyses, it was possible to gain a more detailed understanding of the pigments of several historical barley breeds. On the one hand, anthocyanins which are regarded as having a health benefit and, on the other hand, a hitherto unknown melanin, the structure of which could be identified to a certain degree, were determined. While melanins are insoluble in water, the anthocyanins could also be used for brewing beers coloured red.