[CCD-array detection-flow injection analysis of oligomeric: proanthocyanidins in health food]

A flow-injection-CCD array detection spectrophotometry for the determination of oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC) in health foods was developed in the present paper, based on the reaction that OPC can form red anthocyanidin in hydrochloric acid medium with ferric ion as a catalytic agent. The absorption spectrum of OPC was scanned and the absorbance at 545 nm was determined by flow injection with CCD-array detector. The influencing factors of the chromogenic reaction and parameters of the flow injection analysis were optimized. There is a good linear relationship between the absorbances and the concentrations of OPC in the range of 0.010-0.20 mg x mL(-1). The detection limit of the method was 5 microg x mL(-1). The recoveries were 82.47%-98.18% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.5%-4.9%. The proposed method is sensitive, accurate and rapid with the sampling frequency of 10 samples-h(-1) and suitable for the determination of OPC in the health food.