Quantitative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of procyanidins in Crataegus leaves and flowers

A quantitative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic metho d using UV diode array detection has been developed for the determination o f (-)-epicatechin, procyanidins B2 and B5 in Crataegus leaves and flowers. Validation experiments revealed that if evaluations are based on height cou nts procyanidins B4 also yields good and procyanidin C1 acceptable recovery rates. This uncommon behavior of procyanidins B4 and C1 is postulated to b e due to matrix effects. A sample preparation procedure including a filtrat ion step over C-18 cartridges is proposed for quantitative determinations. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.