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Quantitation of polyphenols in different apple varieties
Urska Vrhovsek1, Adelio Rigo, Diego Tonon
1Istituto Agrario di San Michele, via E. Mach 2, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|October 14, 2004
Summary
This study analyzed polyphenols in Italian apple varieties, finding flavanols are the dominant compounds. Results provide insights into apple
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Plant Biochemistry
Background:
- Apples are rich in polyphenols, contributing to their health benefits.
- Understanding polyphenol profiles is crucial for varietal characterization and quality assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and identify major polyphenols in eight popular apple varieties from Trentino, Italy.
- To correlate chromatographic data with total polyphenol content measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay.
Main Methods:
- Polyphenol extraction using acetone/water mixture.
- Analysis of extracted compounds via normal-phase and reversed-phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
- Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) for compound identification.
- Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) assay for total polyphenol quantification.
Main Results:
- Total polyphenol content varied significantly among apple varieties (66.2–211.9 mg/100 g FW).
- Flavanols (catechin, epicatechin, proanthocyanidins) constituted the largest proportion (71–90%) of apple polyphenols.
- Other identified polyphenols included hydroxycinnamates, flavonols, dihydrochalcones, and anthocyanins (in red apples).
- Chromatographic analysis successfully accounted for the total polyphenol content determined by the FC assay.
Conclusions:
- Apple polyphenol composition is variety-dependent.
- Flavanols are the primary contributors to the total polyphenol content in the studied apple varieties.
- The analytical methods employed provide a comprehensive profile of apple polyphenols.
