Separation, Characterization, and Quantitation of Phenolic Acids in a Little-Known Blueberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) Fruit by HPLC-MS

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 53; no. 21; pp. 8116 - 8122
• Main Authors: Ayaz, Faik A, Hayirlioglu-Ayaz, Sema, Gruz, Jiri, Novak, Ondrej, Strnad, Miroslav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 19-10-2005
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; blueberries; caffeic acid; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Food industries; Fruit - chemistry; Fruit and vegetable industries; fruit composition; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; high performance liquid chromatography; Hydroxybenzoates - analysis; Hydroxybenzoates - isolation & purification; Mass Spectrometry; p-coumaric acid; phenolic acids; Vaccinium; Vaccinium - chemistry; Vaccinium arctostaphylos; Separation; Fruit; Phenolic acid; HPLC-MS; Berry; HPLC chromatography; Characterization; Vaccinium; Dicotyledones; Blueberry; Angiospermae; phenolic acids; Vaccinium arctostaphylos; Spermatophyta; Ericaceae; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf058057y

The aim of this study was the qualitative and quantitative determination of free, ester, glycoside, and ester-bound phenolic acids in the blueberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) fruit. A method for the determination of the profile of phenolic acids of four different phenolic fractions in the fruit was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Thirteen compounds (gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, m-hydroxybenzoic, gentisic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, syringic, sinapic, salicylic, and trans-cinnamic acids) were identified and quantified in the berry. These experimental results showed that the predominant phenolic acid in the fruit of V. arctostaphylos is caffeic acid in free and insoluble ester-bound forms and p-coumaric acid in soluble ester and glycoside forms. Seven phenolic acids were identified as hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives (HBAs) and four as hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (HCAs). Total content of HBAs and HCAs in the four phenolic fractions constituted 30.1 and 69.9% of the free, 27.9 and 72.1% of the ester, 24.7 and 75.3% of the glycoside, and 51.7 and 48.3% of the ester-bound forms, respectively. Total phenolics as the sum of individual phenolic acids identified is 698.5 ng/g of fresh weight (fw) for the free, 3399.2 ng/g of fw for the ester, 3522.1 ng/g of fw for the glycoside, and 3671.6 ng/g of fw for the ester-bound phenolic fractions. The present results were compared with reported levels of phenolic acids in the fruits of different Vaccinium species. These data suggest that the fruit can be considered as a potentially good dietary source of phenolic acids. Keywords: Blueberry; fruit; Vaccinium arctostaphylos; phenolic acids; HPLC-MS