Extraction of phenolics in liquid model matrices containing oak chips: Kinetics, liquid chromatography-mass...

Four different liquid model matrices were utilised to study the leaching of polyphenols from oak chips. The matrices included distilled water, 12% (v/v) ethanol, 12% (v/v) ethanol adjusted to pH 3.4, and 55% (v/v) ethanol. Extraction of phenolics into the liquid systems was monitored by the estimation of the total polyphenol concentration, using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The in vitro antiradical activity was also recorded using the stable DPPH radical, to ascertain enrichment of the solutions with potentially antioxidant compounds. As a final step, the polyphenolic composition of each matrix was characterised by means of liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. The kinetics of polyphenol leaching into the liquid phase was found to obey a 2nd parameter power equation of the type y=ax(b), which produced a good fit of the data (p<0.0001). Kinetics was faster in distilled water up to a point, where after polyphenol extraction occurred at higher rate in the 55% ethanolic solution. The antiradical activity in all cases was highly correlated with total polyphenol concentration (p<0.001), providing that the amount of polyphenols extracted into the liquid media exerted a proportional antioxidant effect. The analytical examination by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that the compounds implicated are hydrolysable tannins and hydrolysis products thereof.