IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF PLANT PHENOLIC ANTIOXIDANTS

Food plants contain a range of nutrient and non-nutrient compounds wit h antioxidant properties. Principal among these compounds are flavonol s and the cinnamic acid derivatives. These two groups exist in plant f oods largely as conjugates with sugars or with organic acids; and, typ ically, plant foods contain complex mixtures of these glycosides and c onjugates. The analysis of such mixtures in foods is an important outs tanding problem. The present paper outlines methods for the extraction and purification of phenolic antioxidants as the conjugated forms tha t exist in plant foods.