A group of floral pigments, existing as glycosides in combination with glucose or cellobiose molecules, that range from red to blue and are often pH dependent; soluble in water and alcohol but not in ether. Anthocyanins are divided into derivatives of pelargonidin, cyanidins, and delphinidins. Some have been used as hematoxylin substitutes.
Origin
[G. anthos, flower, + kyanos, a blue substance]