Thermo Scientific Acclaim RSLC 120 C18 column for testing bilberry anthocyanins in nutraceutical products

Thermo Fisher Scientific has available a high-resolution, silica-based Thermo Scientific Acclaim RSLC 120 C18 column. The column is designed to provide a simple, sensitive, fast and accurate method to separate and quantify anthocyanins using UHPLC in different commercially available nutraceutical products with minimal sample preparation. The company claims using the column and a wavelength of 520 µm to separate and detect 15 anthocyanins and five anthocyanidins takes 30 min, in contrast with other methods that can have run times of 50 min or more.

Bilberry extracts are used in nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals for improving visual acuity and treating circulatory disorders. Chemical and pharmacological studies have identified anthocyanins as the main components responsible for the therapeutic effect of the extracts that are used in these supplements. Bilberries - known to have a high anthocyanin content - cannot be cultivated, are difficult to harvest and process, and therefore are one of the most expensive botanical ingredients in the health food industry. The high price of the extract can make it more susceptible to adulteration. The column may provide a reliable, simple and reproducible analytical method for determining anthocyanins in bilberry-based nutraceutical products to evaluate their efficacy.