AbstractThe anthocyanin composition of berries of Maqui [Aristotelia chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz] was determined by HPLC with photodiode array and MS detection. Eight pigments corresponding to the 3‐glucosides, 3,5‐diglucosides, 3‐sambubiosides and 3‐sambubioside‐5‐glucosides of delphinidin and cyanidin were identified, the principal anthocyanin being delphinidin 3‐sambubioside‐5‐glucoside (34% of total anthocyanins). The average total anthocyanin content was 137.6 ± 0.4 mg/100 g of fresh fruit (211.9 ± 0.6 mg/100 g of dry fruit). The relative high anthocyanin content and the important presence of polar polyglycosylated derivatives makes the fruits of A. chilensis an interesting source of anthocyanin extracts for food and pharmaceutical uses. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.