Flavonoids and phenolic acids of sage: Influence of some agricultural factors

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/diode-array detecto r procedure is proposed for the determination of six phenolic compounds (ca ffeic acid, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, rosmarinic acid, apigenin, hispidulin, and cirsimaritin) in sage. The chromatographic separation was achieved usin g a reversed-phase Spherisorb ODS2 (5-mum particle size, 25.0 x 0.46 cm) co lumn. Of the several extractive solvents assayed only ethyl ether, ethyl ac etate, and acetone were able to extract all the compounds mentioned. Best r esolution was obtained using a gradient of water/phosphoric acid (999:1) an d acetonitrile. Ten samples cultivated in two experimental fields (1997-199 9) were analyzed and the individual compounds quantified. Four commercially available samples were also analyzed and the results are discussed.