Anthocyanin content of spray Chrysanthemum cultivars under polyhouse and open field conditions

Abstract

Fifteen spray Chrysanthemum cultivars were grown under polyhouse and open field condition during winter seasons of 2004-2005 to estimate anthocyanin in flower tepals of the cultivars. The anthocyanin was estimated (mg/100g of tepals) from freshly harvested flower tepals that were collected at 5 days interval from flower opening to flower colour fading stage. The results indicated that the anthocyanin content of flower tissues of spray chrysanthemum cultivars was non-significantly more in polyhouse condition as compared to open field, whereas those cultivars which produced mostly whitish coloured flower, viz. ‘Sarad Mala’, ‘White Anemone’, ‘Kelvin Brisk’ and ‘Lokenath’ showed more anthocyanin in open field. The cultivars ‘Tata Red’, ‘Red Gold’, ‘Arati’, ‘Apsara Violet’ and ‘Jaya’ has been screened out as high anthocyanin content cultivars and these may be used to exploit for extraction of anthocyanin as organic colour of plant origin.