Vaccinium myrtillus is a species of shrub with edible fruit of blue color, commonly called "bilberry", "whortleberry" or "European blueberry". It has much in common with the American blueberry (Vaccinium cyanococcus). It is more precisely called Common Bilberry or Blue Whortleberry, to distinguish it from other Vaccinium relatives. Vaccinium myrtillus is found natively in Europe, northern Asia, Greenland, Western Canada, and the Western United States.
A blueberry extract (A) and two anthocyanin-derived extracts (B and C) were prepared. The contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and anthocyanin-derived pigments of the extracts were determined for the first time. The pigment profile of blueberry extract A corresponded to 15 anthocyanins, whereas extract B was mainly composed of anthocyanin-pyruvic acid adducts of the blueberry original anthocyanins and extract C was mainly composed of the respective vinylpyranoanthocyanin-catechins (portisins).