Abstract: The purple color of purple flowering Chinese cabbage（Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis var. purpurea Baile.）as well as purple types of turnip（Brassica rapa ssp. rapifera Metzg.）and pakchoi [Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis（L.）Makino] is due to anthocyanin accumulation. To investigate the distribution and metabolic profiling of anthocyanins in the leaves of these vegetables，tissue sections of leaves were observed，as well as the analytical method combining two LC–MS techniques，UFLC-UV-Q-Trap-MS and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS，were performed for the identification of anthocyanins. The anthocyanin pigments were mainly accumulated in the petiole epidermis of purple flowering Chinese cabbage and purple turnip，while in the upper epidermis of blades of purple pakchoi. In total，23 anthocyanins were detected and identified in the leaves of these vegetales. Seventeen different acylated cyanidin 3-di/triglucoside-5-glucosides were detected and identified in purple flowering Chinese cabbage and purple pakchoi. Six anthocyanins in purple turnip were identified as different acylated pelargonidin 3-diglucoside-5-glucosides. Based on these results the metabolic profiling of anthocyanins was extensively characterized in these three purple Brassica rapa vegetables.

Key words: purple flowering Chinese cabbage, turnip, pakchoi, anthocyanin, metabolic profiling analysis