Relationships between the Content of Phenolic Compounds and the Antioxidant Activity of Polish Honey Varieties as a Tool for Botanical Discrimination

The study compared the content of eight phenolic acids and four flavonoids and the antioxidant activity of six Polish varietal honeys. An attempt was also made to determine the correlations between the antioxidant parameters of the honeys and their polyphenol profile using principal component analysis. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity (ABTS) and reduction capacity (FRAP) were determined spectrophotometrically, and the phenolic compounds were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The buckwheat honeys showed the strongest antioxidant activity, most likely because they had the highest concentrations of total phenols, total flavonoids, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid and chrysin. The principal component analysis (PCA) of the data showed significant relationships between the botanic origin of the honey, the total content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids and the antioxidant activity of the six Polish varietal honeys. The strongest, significant correlations were shown for parameters of antioxidant activity and TPC, TFC, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid. Analysis of four principal components (explaining 86.9% of the total variance), as a classification tool, confirmed the distinctiveness of the Polish honeys in terms of their antioxidant activity and content of phenolic compounds.     

Study on Rhizoma Chuanxiong based on capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection

<正>A high-performance capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection(CE-AD) method has been developed for the analysis of seven bioactive ingredients,namely ferulic acid(FA),vanillin,vanillic acid,p-hydroxybenzoic acid,caffeic acid,gallic acid and protocatechuic acid,in Rhizoma Chuanxiong.The effects of several factors such as the acidity and concentration of running buffer,the separation voltage,the applied potential to working electrode and the injection time were investigated.Under the optimum conditions,the seven analytes could be well separated within 21 min at the separation voltage of 16 kV in a 60 mmol/L borax running buffer(pH 8.7).A 300μm diameter carbon disk electrode has a good response at potential of +950 mV(vs.SCE) for all analytes.Good linear relationship was established over three orders of magnitude with detection limits(S/N = 3) ranged from 3.3×10~(-7) to 6.7×10~(-9)g/mL.This proposed method has been successfully applied for the determination and comparison of different batches of Rhizoma Chuanxiong samples based on their characteristic electrochemical profiles.     

Vibrational Study (Raman,SERS, and IR) of Plant Gallnut Polyphenols Related to the Fabrication of Iron Gall Inks

FT-Raman, FTIR, and SERS spectra of the structurally related gallnut polyphenols tannic acid, gallic acid, pyrogallol, and syringic acid are reported in this work aiming at performing a comparative assignation of the bands and finding specific marker features that can identify these compounds in complex polyphenol mixtures. Tannic and gallic acids are the principal components in oak gallnuts, and they can be found in iron gall inks. The different functional groups existing in these molecules and their spatial distribution lead to slight changes of the vibrations. The Raman spectra are dominated by bands corresponding to the ring vibrations, but the substituents in the ring strongly affect these vibrations. In contrast, the FTIR spectra of these molecules are dominated by the peripheral oxygen-containing substituents of the aromatic ring and afford complementary information. SERS spectroscopy can be used to analyze trace amounts of these compounds, but the spectra of these polyphenols show strong changes in comparison with the Raman spectra, indicating a strong interaction with the metal. The most significant modification observed in the SERS spectra of these compounds is the weakening of the benzene 8a ring vibration and the subsequent intensification of the 19a mode of the benzene ring. This mode is also more intense in the FTIR spectra, and its intensification in the SERS spectra could be related to a drastic change in the molecular polarizability associated with the interaction of the polyphenol with the metal in Ag NPs.     

HPLC characterization of phenolics in lignocellulosic materials

Summary The application of HPLC with an electrochemical detector for the determination of phenolics in lignocellulosic materials is reported. The separation of phenolic acids and aldehydes (gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, vanillin, syringaldehyde and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde) on two different columns (reversed phase C6 and styrene-divinylbenzene PLRP-S) is shown. Chromatograms of phenolic compounds in neutral, basic and oxidative extracts of wheat straw treated with NaOH and white rot fungusStropharia rugosoannulata are reported along with quantitative results.     

Matrix‐less laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry of polyphenols in red wine

Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI) of small molecules is challenging and in most cases impossible due to interferences from matrix ions precluding analysis of molecules <300–500 Da. A common matrix such as ferulic acid belongs to an important class of compounds associated with antioxidant activity. If the shared phenolic structure is related to the propensity as an active MALDI matrix then it follows that direct laser desorption/ionisation should be possible for polyphenols. Indeed matrix‐less laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry is achieved whereby the analyte functions as a matrix and was used to monitor low molecular weight compounds in wine samples. Sensitivity ranging from 0.12–87 pmol/spot was achieved for eight phenolic acids (4‐coumaric, 4‐hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, ferulic, gallic, protocatechuic, syringic, vanillic) and 0.02 pmol/spot for trans‐resveratrol. Additionally, 4‐coumaric, 4‐hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, ferulic, gallic, syringic, vanillic acids and trans‐resveratrol were identified in wine samples using accurate mass measurements consistent with reported profiles based on liquid chromatography (LC)/MS. Minimal sample pre‐treatment make the technique potentially appropriate for fingerprinting, screening and quality control of wine samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography of isoflavones and phenolic acids on different stationary phases

Complete separation of aglycones and glucosides of selected isoflavones (genistin, genistein, daidzin, daidzein, glycitin, glycitein, ononin, sissotrin, formononetin, and biochanin A) was possible in 1.5 min using an ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (U-HPLC) on a different particular chemically modified stationary phases with a particle size under 2 microm. In addition, selected separation conditions for simultaneous determination of isoflavones together with a group of phenolic acids (gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, syringic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acid) allowed separation of all 19 compounds in 1.9 min. Separations were conducted on a non-polar reversed phase (C(18)) and also on more polar phases with cyanopropyl or phenyl groups using a gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of 0.3% aqueous acetic acid and methanol. Chromatographic peaks were characterised using parameters such as resolution, symmetry, selectivity, etc. Individual substances were identified and quantified using UV-vis diode array detector at wavelength 270 nm. Limits of detection (3S/N) were in the range 200-400 pg ml(-1). Proposed U-HPLC technique was used for separation of isoflavones and phenolic acids in samples of plant materials (Trifolium pratense, Glycine max, Pisum sativum and Ononis spinosa) after acid hydrolysis of the samples and modified Soxhlet extraction.     

Capillary zone electrophoretic determination of phenolic compounds in chess (Bromus inermis L.) plant extracts

A simple CZE method for quantification of phenolic compounds (vanillin, cinnamic, sinapic, chlorogenic, syringic, ferulic, benzoic, p-coumaric, vanillic, p-hydroxybenzoic, rosmarinic, caffeic, gallic and protocatechuic acids) in less than 10 min using 20 mM sodium tetraborate (pH 9.2) with 5% v/v methanol as a BGE and with UV detection at 254 nm is described. The LODs (3 S/N) ranged between 0.02 and 0.12 microg/ mL. Repeatabilities (RSDs) were 0.66-1.8 and 1.56-4.23% for migration times and peak areas (n = 5), respectively. The method was applied to the determination of phenolic compounds in chess (Bromus inermis L.) after Soxhlet extraction and purification of the crude extracts with SPE procedures. The results compared well with those obtained by liquid chromatographic method. B. inermis was found as a suitable model plant containing a broad spectrum of phenolic compounds in easily detectable concentrations and as a potential source of antioxidants.     

RP-HPLC analysis of phenolic acids of selected Central European Carex L. (Cyperaceae) species and its implication for taxonomy

Eighteen species belonging to the Carex genus were checked for the presence and the amount of eight phenolic acids (p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, syringic, protocatechuic, p-coumaric, sinapic, and ferulic) by means of HPLC. Both the free and bonded phenolic acids were analyzed. The majority of the analyzed acids occurred in the studied species in relatively high amounts. The highest concentrations found were caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid, for which the detected levels were negatively correlated. A very interesting feature was the occurrence of sinapic acid, a compound very rarely detected in plant tissues. Its distribution across the analyzed set of species can be hypothetically connected with the humidity of plants' habitats. Several attempted tests of aggregative cluster analysis showed no similarity to the real taxonomical structure of the genus Carex. Thus, the phenolic acids' composition cannot be considered as the major taxonomical feature for the genus Carex.     

Determination of Emodin and Phenolic Acids in the Petioles of Rheum undulatum and Rheum rhaponticum

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Emodin and twelve phenolic acids (ellagic, gallic, protocatechuic, homoprotocatechuic, caffeic, p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric,...     

Molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres for solid-phase extraction of protocatechuic acid in Rhizoma homalomenae

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) had been prepared by precipitation polymerization method using acrylamide as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker, acetonitrile as the porogen solvent and protocatechuic acid (PA), one of phenolic acids, as the template molecule. The MIPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared, and their performance relative to non-imprinted polymers was assessed by equilibrium binding experiments. Six structurally similar phenolic acids, including p-hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, salicylic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid were selected to assess the selectivity and recognition capability of the MIPs. The MIPs were applied to extract PA from the traditional Chinese medicines as a solid-phase extraction sorbent. The resultant cartridge showed that the MIPs have a good extraction performance and were able to selectively extract almost 82% of PA from the extract of Rhizoma homalomenae. Thus, the proposed molecularly imprinted-solid phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography method can be successfully used to extract and analyse PA in traditional Chinese medicines.     

OH-radical induced degradation of hydroxybenzoic- and hydroxycinnamic acids and formation of aromatic products—A gamma radiolysis study

The OH-radical induced degradation of hydroxybenzoic acids (HBA), hydroxycinnamic acids (HCiA) and methoxylated derivatives, as well as of chlorogenic acid and rosmarinic acid was studied by gamma radiolysis in aerated aqueous solutions. Primary aromatic products resulting from an OH-radical attachment to the ring (hydroxylation), to the position occupied by the methoxyl group (replacement –OCH₃ by ?OH) as well as to the propenoic acid side chain of the cinnamic acids (benzaldehyde formations) were analysed by HPLC–UV and LC–ESI–MS. A comparison of the extent of these processes is given for 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, isovanillic acid, syringic acid, cinnamic acid, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, isoferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid. For all cinnamic acids and derivatives benzaldehydes were significant oxidation products. With the release of caffeic acid from chlorogenic acid the cleavage of a phenolic glycoside could be demonstrated. Reaction mechanisms are discussed.     

固相萃取/高效液相色谱法测定茶油中的多种天然酚类物质

建立了同时分离、检测茶油中23种酚类物质的高效液相色谱方法.比较了液液萃取、固相萃取两种方法的提取效果,并优化了流动相、检测波长、进样量等参数.23种酚类物质在优化条件下均可有效分离,并在0.059～9.115μg/g范围内具有良好的线性关系,相关系数为0.9776～1.0000,检出限为0.041～0.379μg/g...     

Separation and identification of the organic acids in Angelicae Radix and Ligustici Rhizoma by HPLC and CE

Angelicae Radix (AR) and Ligustici Rhizoma (LR) are both derived from the Umbelliferae plants and contain similar organic acids as their bioactive compounds. Nine of these organic acids, including nicotinic acid, protocatechuic acid, phthalic acid, folinic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, folic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid were separated by HPLC and CE. Detection at 210 nm with a linear gradient containing 20 mM KH2PO4 (pH 3.5) and H2O-CH3CN in HPLC and with a buffer solution containing 10 mM LTAC, 2 mM Na2HPO4, 9 mM Na2B4O7(pH 9.56), and CH3CN in CE were found to be the most efficient eluents for this separation. The contents of the nine components in crude extracts of either AR or LR could easily be determined within 60 min by LC and within 20 min by CE. The structures of the individual peaks in the LC chromatogram were identified by LC-MS. The effects of buffers on the separation and validation of the two methods were examined.     

Solid-phase/supercritical-fluid extraction for liquid chromatography of phenolic compounds in freshwater microalgae and selected cyanobacterial species

In the present paper a new extraction technique based on the combination of solid-phase/supercritical-fluid extraction (SPE/SFE) with subsequent reversed-phase HPLC is described. The SPE/SFE extractor was originally constructed from SPE-cartridge incorporated into the SFE extraction cell. Selected groups of benzoic acid derivatives (p-hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic, gallic, vanillic and syringic acid), hydroxybenzaldehydes (4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde) and cinnamic acid derivatives (o-coumaric, p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, sinapic and chlorogenic acid) were extracted. Cyclic addition of binary extraction solvent system based on methanol:water (1:1, v/v) and methanol/ammonia aqueous solution was used for extraction at 40 MPa and 80 °C. The p-hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic, vanillic, syringic, caffeic and chlorogenic acid; 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde were identified by HPLC-electrospray mass spectrometry in SPE/SFE extracts of acid hydrolyzates of microalga (Spongiochloris spongiosa) and cyanobacterial strains (Spirulina platensis, Anabaena doliolum, Nostoc sp., and Cylindrospermum sp.). For the identification and quantification of the compounds the quasi-molecular ions [M−H]⁻ and specific fragments were analysed by quadrupole mass spectrometry analyzer. Our analysis showed that the microalgae and cyanobacteria usually contained phenolic acids or aldehydes at μg levels per gram of lyophilized sample. The proposed SPE/SFE extraction method would be useful for the analysis of different plant species containing trace amount of polar fraction of phenols.     

Thermal stability, antioxidant activity, and photo-oxidation of natural polyphenols

The thermal stability (60°C, 80°C, 100°C), antioxidant activity, and ultraviolet C light (UV-C) stability of standard polyphenols solutions (catechin, gallic acid, and vanillic acid) and of vegetal extracts from spruce bark and grape seeds were investigated. Exposure of the standard solutions and vegetal extracts to high temperatures revealed that phenolic compounds were also relatively stable (degradations ranged from 15 % to 30 % after 4 h of exposure). The highest antioxidant activity was obtained for ascorbic acid and gallic acid followed by catechin and caffeic acid and the grape seeds. The results show that, after 3 h of UV-C exposure, approximately 40 % of vanillic acid, 50 % of gallic acid, and 83 % of catechin were removed. Similar degradation rates were observed for vegetal extracts, with the exception of the degradation of catechin (40 %) from grape seeds. In addition, the photo-oxidation of polyphenols in the presence of food constituents such as citric acid, ascorbic acid, sodium chloride, and sodium nitrate was assessed.     

Selective extraction of derivates of p-hydroxy-benzoic acid from plant material by using a molecularly imprinted polymer

Selective SPE of derivates of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA) from plant extract of Melissa officinalis is presented using a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) made with protocatechuic acid (PA) as template molecule. MIP was prepared with acrylamide as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinking monomer and ACN as porogen. MIP was evaluated towards six phenolic acids: PA, gallic acid, pHBA, vanillic acid (VA), gentisic acid (GeA) and syringic acid (SyrA), and then steps of molecularly imprinted SPE (MISPE) procedure were optimized. The best specific binding capacity of MIP was obtained for PA in ACN (34.7 microg/g of MIP). Other tested acids were also bound on MIP if they were dissolved in this solvent. ACN was chosen as solvent for sample application. M. officinalis was extracted into methanol/water (4:1, v/v), the extract was then evaporated to dryness and dissolved in ACN before application on MIP. Water and ACN were used as washing solvents and elution of benzoic acids was performed by means of a mixture methanol/acetic acid (9:1, v/v). pHBA, GA, PA and VA were extracted with recoveries of 56.3-82.1% using this MISPE method. GeA was not determined in plant extract.     

Antioxidant activity of olive phenols: mechanistic investigation and characterization of oxidation products by mass spectrometry

In this work, the antioxidant activity of olive phenols is first characterized by their stoichiometries n(tot)(number of radicals trapped per antioxidant molecule) and their rate constants for the first H-atom abstraction k(1) by the stable radical DPPH. It appears that oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and caffeic acid have the largest k(1) values, whereas dihydrocaffeic acid, an intestinal metabolite of caffeic acid, is the best antioxidant in terms of n(tot). For phenols with a catechol moiety n(tot) is higher than two, implying an antioxidant effect of their primarily formed oxidation products. A HPLC-MS analysis of the main products formed in the AAPH-induced oxidation of olive phenols reveals the presence of dimers and trimers. With hydroxytyrosol and dihydrocaffeic acid, oligomerization can take place with the addition of water molecules.The antioxidant activity of olive phenols is then evaluated by their ability to inhibit the AAPH-induced peroxidation of linoleic acid in SDS micelles. It is shown that olive phenols and quercetin act as retardants rather than chain breakers like alpha-tocopherol. From a detailed mechanistic investigation, it appears that the inhibition of lipid peroxidation by olive phenols can be satisfactorily interpreted by assuming that they essentially reduce the AAPH-derived initiating radicals. Overall, olive phenols prove to be efficient scavengers of hydrophilic peroxyl radicals with a long lasting antioxidant effect owing to the residual activity of some of their oxidation products.     

Kinetics of Phenolic Compounds Modification during Maize Flour Fermentation

This study aimed to investigate the kinetics of phenolic compound modification during the fermentation of maize flour at different times. Maize was spontaneously fermented into sourdough at varying times (24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h) and, at each point, the pH, titratable acidity (TTA), total soluble solids (TSS), phenolic compounds (flavonoids such as apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin, and taxifolin) and phenolic acids (caffeic, gallic, ferulic, p-coumaric, sinapic, and vanillic acids) were investigated. Three kinetic models (zero-, first-, and second-order equations) were used to determine the kinetics of phenolic modification during the fermentation. Results obtained showed that fermentation significantly reduced pH, with a corresponding increase in TTA and TSS. All the investigated flavonoids were significantly reduced after fermentation, while phenolic acids gradually increased during fermentation. Among the kinetic models adopted, first-order (R² = 0.45–0.96) and zero-order (R² = 0.20–0.82) equations best described the time-dependent modifications of free and bound flavonoids, respectively. On the other hand, first-order (R² = 0.46–0.69) and second-order (R² = 0.005–0.28) equations were best suited to explain the degradation of bound and free phenolic acids, respectively. This study shows that the modification of phenolic compounds during fermentation is compound-specific and that their rates of change may be largely dependent on their forms of existence in the fermented products.     

Microspectrometric investigation of active substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering

The results of investigations of several new active silver substrates and some previously reported active silver substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectrometry (SERS) using a Raman microprobe are given. Filter-papers of different composition and porosity, silver membranes and glass slides are evaluated as supports for SERS active substrates. Methods of silver preparation include evaporation and chemical reduction. The Raman microprobe facilitates the acquisition of SER spectra of the adsorbate over the metal microstructure being observed on a TV monitor. This capability allows the establishment of practical relationships between the surface morphology and SERS activity which can be used as guidelines for SERS experiments with the microprobe. For the most monodisperse substrates, it is possible to establish a linear relationship between SERS intensity and adsorbate concentration. In the lower extreme of the calibration graph, the amount of adsorbate being observed under the microscope objective is only 0.3 amol or 1.9 × 10⁵ molecules.