SIMULTANEOUS SEPARATION OF FLAVANONE GLYCOSIDES AND POLYMETHOXYLATED FLAVONES IN CITRUS JUICES USING LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

We present a simultaneous liquid chromatographic method fbr the separa tion of two flavonoid compound families, flavanone glycosides (FGs) an d polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), which are usually found in citrus fruit species and varieties. This technique permits the quantitation o f six FGs (nar;rutin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, didymin, po ncirin) and six PMFs (sinensetin, hexamethoxyflavone, nobiletin, scute llarein, heptamethoxyflavone and tangeretin). This technique, to be us ed to characterize a citrus juice by its polyphenolic profile, has bee n applied to the determination of flavonoid compounds in grapefruit-an d orange juice. Differentiation of orange juice varieties and mixtures containing tangor juice using polyphenolic profiles and flavonoid con tent has been achieved. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.