Scientific Publications by FDA Staff

J Agric Food Chem 2013 Jun 26;61(25):5928-35

Anion Composition of Acai Extracts.

Liao H, Shelor CP, Chen Y, Sabaa-Srur AU, Smith RE, Dasgupta PK

Many products labeled acai are presently marketed as natural supplements with various claimed health benefits. Authentic acai is expensive; as a result, numerous products labeled as containing acai are being sold that actually contain little or no acai. Authentic acai samples from Brazil and Florida as well as several reputed acai products were analyzed by suppressed conductometric anion chromatography. Columns with different selectivities were used to obtain a complete separation of all anions. Tandem mass spectrometry was used for confirmation of the less common ions. Quinate, lactate, acetate, formate, galacturonate, chloride, sulfate, malate, oxalate, phosphate, citrate, isocitrate, and myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (phytate) were found. Only the Florida acai had detectable levels of hexanoate. No acai sample had any detectable levels of tartrate, which is present in abundance in grape juice, the most common adulterant. The highly characteristic anion profile and in particular the absence of tartrate can readily be used to identify authentic acai products. Acai from Florida had a 6 times greater level of phytate. The present analytical approach for phytate may be superior to extant methods.