Variation of pigments in the bulbs of shallot (Allium cepa var. ascalonicum) and Allium × wakegi

Variation of the content of anthocyanins and flavonols in the accessions of shallot and A. × wakegi collected in Indonesia, Japan and Korea was investigated. Cyanidin was the dominant anthocyanins in both shallot and A. × wakegi. Peonidin was also detected in a small amount only in two shallot and one A. × wakegi accessions and in a trace amount in all other accessions. Only quercetin was detected as a flavonol and it distributed with wide variation in either species. A. × wakegi accessions showed significantly higher values of flavonol/anthocyanin than shallot accessions with the formulas of Y=0.330+19.109X (R=0.771) and Y=1.566 + 24.832 X (R=0.814) for shallot and A. × wakegi, respectively, where Y is flavonol content and X is anthocyanin content.