Separation and Characterization of Water Soluble Blue Pigments Formed from Geniposide of Gardenia Fruits

Genipin, aglycone of geniposide isolated from fruits of Gardenia jasminoides, was transformed into blue pigments through reaction with glycine and methylamine. The blue pigments formed from glycine-reacted genipin were passed through Bio-Gel P-2 resin yielding fractions GG1 and GG2, and those from methylamine-reacted genipin were separated into fractions GM1-GM4. The first eluted higher molecular-weight fractions, GG1 and GM1, had higher tinctorial strength than the later eluted lower molecular-weight fractions, GG2 and GM2-GM4, respectively. $^1H-NMR$ spectra of GG1 and GM1 showed very broad peaks indicating that structures of the pigments were highly polymeric. $^1H-NMR$ spectra of GG2, GM3, and GM4 showed several sharp peaks at aliphatic and aromatic regions with accompanying broad peaks, although the spectrum of GM2 was rather simple. Determination of the structural and physical nature of the isolated pigments is in progress.