The binding capacity of chitin and chitosan to anthocyanin pigmentss isolated from purple perilla leaves was inves-tigated. The pigment binding capacity increased with increasing pigment concentrations and decreasing pH without being affected by reaction temperature and particle sizes. Regression analysis revealed significantly high corre-lations between pigment binding capacity of chitin and chitosan and pigment concentration at ranges of 25-100 mg of pigment/g of sample, After 1 hr settling, release of pigment from pigmented chitin and chitosan increased with increasing pH, up to 24.9% and 17.4%, respectively, at pH 9. In general, pigment binding capacity of chitosan was higher than that of chitin. There results suggest that chitosan may be useful as a potential adsorbent capable of stabilizing anthocyanin pigment.